THE 
STORT 

L 

LOVE, 
BEHIND 


G.B.MCCUTCHEON 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


GRAUSTARK 


GRAUSTARK 


THE    STORY    OF    A    LOVE 
BEHIND        A       TH  RONE 


BY 


George     Barr    McCutcheon 


Herbert   S.    Stone  and    Company 

Eldridge    Court,    Chicago 

MDCCCCI 


COPYRIGHT,       1901,      BY 
HERBERT    S.     STONE     &    CO. 


College 
Library 


3S3S" 
GRAUSTARK 


MR.  GRENFALL  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE 

Mr.  Grenfall  Lorry  boarded  the  east-bound 
express  at  Denver  with  all  the  air  of  a  martyr. 
He  had  traveled  pretty  much  all  over  the 
world,  and  he  was  not  without  resources,  but 
the  prospect  of  a  twenty-five  hundred  mile 
journey  alone  filled  him  with  dismay.  The 
country  he  knew ;  the  scenery  had  long  since 
lost  its  attractions  for  him ;  countless  newsboys 
had  failed  to  tempt  him  with  the  literature 
they  thrust  in  his  face,  and  as  for  his  fellow- 
passengers — well,  he  preferred  to  be  alone. 
And  so  it  was  that  he  gloomily  motioned  the 
porter  to  his  boxes  and  mounted  the  iteps 
with  weariness. 

As  it  happened,  Mr.  Grenfall  Lorry  did  not 
have  a  dull  moment  after  the  train  started. 


3  GRA  USTARK 

He  stumbled  on  a  figure  that  leaned  toward 
the  window  in  the  dark  passageway.  With 
reluctant  civility  he  apologized ;  a  lady  stood 
up  to  let  him  pass,  and  for  an  instant  in  the 
half  light  their  eyes  met,  and  that  is  why  the 
miles  rushed  by  with  incredible  speed. 

Mr.  Lorry  had  been  dawdling  away  the 
months  in  Mexico  and  California.  For  years 
he  had  felt,  together  with  many  other  people, 
that  a  sea-voyage  was  the  essential  beginning 
of  every  journey;  he  had  started  round  the 
world  soon  after  leaving  Cambridge ;  he  had 
fished  through  Norway  and  hunted  in  India, 
and  shot  everything  from  grouse  on  the  Scot- 
tish moors  to  the  rapids  above  Assouan.  He 
had  run  in  and  out  of  countless  towns  and  coun- 
tries on  the  coast  of  South  America ;  he  had 
done  Russia  and  the  Rhone  valley  and  Brittany 
and  Damascus ;  he  had  seen  them  all — but  not 
until  then  did  it  occur  to  him  that  there  might 
be  something  of  interest  nearer  home.  True 
he  had  thought  of  joining  some  Englishmen 
on  a  hunting  tour  in  the  Rockies,  but  that  had 
fallen  through.  When  the  idea  of  Mexico  did 
occur  to  him  he  gave  orders  to  pack  his  things, 
purchased  interminable  green  tickets,  dined 
unusually  well  at  his  club,  and  was  off  in  no 
time  to  the  unknown  West 


MR.  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE          3 

There  was  a  theory  in  his  family  that  it 
would  have  been  a  decenter  thing  for  him  to 
stop  running  about  and  settle  down  to  work. 
But  his  thoughtful  father  had  given  him  a 
wealthy  mother,  and  as  earning  a  living  was 
not  a  necessity,  he  failed  to  see  why  it  was  a 
duty.  "Work  is  becoming  to  some  men,"  he 
once  declared,  "like  whiskers  or  red  ties,  but 
it  does  not  follow  that  all  men  can  stand  it." 
After  that  the  family  found  him  "hopeless," 
and  the  argument  dropped. 

He  was  just  under  thirty  years,  as  good- 
looking  as  most  men,  with  no  one  dependent 
upon  him  and  an  income  that  had  withstood 
both  the  Maison  Dore'e  and  a  dahabeah  on  the 
Nile.  He  never  tired  of  seeing  things  and 
peoples  and  places.  "There's  game  to  be 
found  anywhere,"  he  said,  "only  it's  some- 
times out  of  season.  If  I  had  my  way — and 
millions — I  should  run  a  newspaper.  Then 
all  the  excitements  would  come  to  me.  As  it 
is — I'm  poor,  and  so  I  have  to  go  all  over  the 
world  after  them." 

•  This  agreeable  theory  of  life  had  worked 
well ;  he  was  a  little  bored  at  times — not  be- 
cause he  had  seen  too  much,  but  because  there 
were  not  more  things  left  to  see.  He  had 
managed  somehow  to  keep  his  enthusiasms 


4  GRA  USTARK 

through  everything — and  they  made  life  worth 
living.  He  felt  too  a  certain  elation— like  a 
spirited  horse — at  turning  toward  home,  but 
Washington  had  not  much  to  offer  him,  and 
the  thrill  did  not  last.  His  big  bag  and  his 
hat-box — pasted  over  with  foolish  labels  from 
continental  hotels — were  piled  in  the  corner 
of  his  compartment,  and  he  settled  back  in  his 
seat  with  a  pleasurable  sense  of  expectancy. 
The  presence  in  the  next  room  of  a  very  smart 
appearing  young  woman  was  prominent  in  his 
consciousness.  It  gave  him  an  uneasiness 
which  was  the  beginning  of  delight.  He  had 
seen  her  for  only  a  second  in  the  passageway, 
but  that  second  had  made  him  hold  himself  a 
little  straighter.  "Why  is  it,"  he  wondered, 
"that  some  girls  make  you  stand  like  a  footman 
the  moment  you  see  them?"  Grenfall  had 
been  in  love  too  many  times  to  think  of  mar- 
riage ;  his  habit  of  mind  was  still  general,  and 
he  classified  women  broadly.  At  the  same 
time  he  had  a  feeling  that  in  this  case  gener- 
alities did  not  apply  well;  there  was  something 
about  the  girl  that  made  him  hesitate  at  label- 
ling her  "Class  A,  or  B,  or  Z. "  What  it  was 
he  did  not  know,  but — unaccountably — she 
filled  him  with  an  affected  formality.  He  felt 
like  bowing  to  her  with  a  grand  air  and  much 


MR,  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE         5 

dignity.  And  yet  he  realized  that  his  suc- 
cesses had  come  from  confidence. 

At  luncheon  he  saw  her  in  the  dining  car. 
Her  companions  were  elderly  persons — pre- 
sumably her  parents.  They  talked  mostly  in 
French — occasionally  using  a  German  word  or 
phrase.  The  old  gentleman  was  stately  and 
austere — with  an  air  of  deference  to  the  young 
woman  which  Grenfall  did  not  understand. 
His  appearance  was  very  striking;  his  face 
pale  and  heavily  lined :  moustache  and  imperial 
gray;  the  eyebrows  large  and  bushy,  and  the 
jaw  and  chin  square  and  firm.  The  white- 
haired  lady  carried  her  head  high  with  unmis- 
takable gentility.  They  were  all  dressed  in 
traveling  suits  which  suggested  something  for- 
eign, but  not  Vienna  nor  Paris ;  smart,  but  far 
from  American  tastes. 

Lorry  watched  the  trio  with  great  interest 
Twice  during  luncheon  the  young  woman 
glanced  toward  him  carelessly  and  left  an 
annoying  impression  that  she  had  not  seen 
him.  As  they  left  the  table  and  passed  into 
the  observation  car,  he  stared  at  her  with 
some  defiance.  But  she  was  smiling,  and  her 
dimples  showed,  and  Grenfall  was  ashamed. 
For  some  moments  he  sat  gazing  from  the  car 
window — forgetting  his  luncheon — dreaming. 


6  GRA  USTARK 

When  he  got  back  to  his  compartment  he 
rang  vigorously  for  the  porter.  A  coin  was 
carelessly  displayed  in  his  fingers.  "Do  you 
suppose  you  could  find  out  who  has  the  next 
compartment,  porter?" 

"I  don't  know  their  name,  suh,  but  they's 
goin'  to  New  York  jis  as  fas'  as  they  can  git 
thuh.  I  ain'  ax  um  no  questions,  'cause  thuh's 
somethin*  'bout  um  makes  me  feel's  if  I  ain' 
got  no  right  to  look  at  um  even. ' ' 

The  porter  thought  a  moment. 

"I  don'  believe  it'll  do  yuh  any  good,  suh, 
to  try  to  shine  up  to  tha'  young  lady.  She  ain' 
the  sawt,  I  can  tell  yuh  that.  I  done  see  too 
many  guhls  in  ma  time " 

"What  are  you  talking  about?  I'm  not  try- 
ing to  shine  up  to  her.  I  only  want  to  know 
who  she  is — just  out  of  curiosity. "  Grenfall's 
face  was  a  trifle  red. 

"Beg  pahdon,  suh;  but  I  kind  o'  thought 
you  was  like  oth'  gent' men  when  they  see  a 
han'some  woman.  Allus  wants  to  fin'  out 
somethin'  'bout  huh,  suh,  yuh  know.  'Scuse 
me  fofi  misjedgin'  yuh,  suh.  Th'  lady  in 
question  is  a  foh'ner — she  lives  across  th' 
ocean,  's  fuh  as  I  can  fin'  out.  They's  in  a 
hurry  to  git  home  foh  some  reason,  'cause  they 


MR.  LORR  Y  SEEKS  A  D  VENTURE         f 

am*  goin'  to  stop  this  side  o*  New  York,  'cept 
to  change  cahs." 

"Where  do  they  change  cars?" 

"St.  Louis — goin'  by  way  of  Cincinnati  an* 
Washin'ton." 

Grenfall's  ticket  carried  him  by  way  of  Chi- 
cago. He  caught  himself  wondering  if  he 
could  exchange  his  ticket  in  St.  Louis. 

"Traveling  with  her  father  and  mother,  I 
suppose?" 

"No,  suh;  they's  huh  uncle  and  aunt.  I 
heah  huh  call  'em  uncle  an'  aunt.  Th'  ole 
gent'man  is  Uncle  Caspar.  I  don'  know  what 
they  talk  'bout.  It's  mostly  some  foh'en  lan- 
guage. Th'  young  lady  allus  speaks  Amehican 
to  me,  but  th'  old  folks  cain't  talk  it  ver'  well. 
They  all  been  to  Frisco,  an'  the  hired  he'p 
they's  got  with  'em  say  they  been  to  Mexico, 
too.  Th'  young  lady's  got  good  Amehican 
dollahs,  don'  care  wha'  she's  been.  She  allus 
smiles  when  she  ask  me  to  do  anythin',  an'  I 
wouldn'  care  if  she  nevah  tipped  me,  *s  long  as 
she  smiles  thataway. " 

"Servants  with  them,  you  say?" 

"Yas,  suh:  man  an'  woman,  nex*  section 
t'other  side  the  ole  folks.  Cain't  say  mor'n 
fifteen  words  in  Amehican.  Th'  woman  is  huh 


8  GRA  USTARK 

maid,  an'  the  man  he's  th'  gen'ral  hustler  fer 
th'  hull  pahty." 

"And  you  don't  know  her  name?" 

"No,  suh,  an'  I  cain't  ver'  well  fin*  out.'* 

"In  what  part  of  Europe  does  she  live?" 

"Australia,  1  think,  suh." 

"You  mean  Austria." 

"Do  I?  'Scuse  ma  ig'nance.  I  was  jis* 
guessin'  at  it  anyhow;  one  place's  as  good  as 
'nother  ovah  thuh,  I  reckon." 

"Have  you  one  of  those  dollars  she  gave  you?" 

"Yes,  suh.  Heh's  a  coin  that  ain*  Amehi- 
can,  but  she  says  it's  wuth  seventy  cents  in  our 
money.  It's  a  foh'en  piece.  She  tell  me  to 
keep  it  till  I  went  ovah  to  huh  country;  then  I 
could  have  a  high  time  with  it — that's  what 
she  says — 'a  high  time' — an'  smiled  kind  o' 
knowin'  like." 

"Let  me  see  that  coin,"  said  Lorry,  eagerly 
taking  the  silver  piece  from  the  porter's  hand. 
"I  never  saw  one  like  it  before.  Greek,  it 
looks  to  me,  but  I  can't  make  a  thing  out  of 
these  letters.  She  gave  it  to  you?" 

"Yas,  suh — las'  evenin'.  A  high  time  on 
seventy  cents!  That's  reediculous,  ain't  it?" 
demanded  the  porter  scornfully. 

"I'll  give  you  a  dollar  for  it.  You  can  have 
a  higher  time  on  that." 


MR.  LORR  Y  SEEKS  AD  VENTURE         9 

The  odd  little  coin  changed  owners  imme- 
diately, and  the  new  possessor  dropped  it  into 
his  pocket  with  the  inward  conviction  that  he 
was  the  silliest  fool  in  existence.  After  the 
porter's  departure  he  took  the  coin  from  his 
pocket,  and,  with  his  back  to  the  door,  his  face 
to  the  window,  studied  its  lettering. 

During  the  afternoon  he  strolled  about  the 
train,  his  hand  constantly  jingling  the  coins. 
He  passed  her  compartment  several  times,  yet 
refrained  from  looking  in.  But  he  wondered 
if  she  saw  him  pass. 

At  one  little  station  a  group  of  Indian  bear 
hunters  created  considerable  interest  among 
the  passengers.  Grenfall  was  down  at  the 
station  platform  at  once,  looking  over  a  great 
stack  of  game.  As  he  left  the  car  he  met 
Uncle  Caspar,  who  was  hurrying  toward  his 
niece's  section.  A  few  moments  later  she  came 
down  the  steps,  followed  by  the  dignified  old 
gentleman.  Grenfall  tingled  with  a  strange 
delight  as  she  moved  quite  close  to  his  side  in 
her  desire  to  see.  Once  he  glanced  at  her 
face ;  there  was  a  pretty  look  of  fear  in  her 
eyes  as  she  surveyed  the  massive  bears  and  the 
stark,  stiff  antelopes.  But  she  laughed  as  she 
turned  away  with  her  uncle. 

Grenfall    was    smoking    his    cigarette    and 


io  GRA  USTARK 

vigorously  jingling  the  coins  in  his  pocket 
when  the  train  pulled  out.  Then  he  swung 
on  the  car  steps  and  found  himself  at  her  feet. 
She  was  standing  at  the  top.  where  she  had 
lingered  a  moment.  There  was  an  expression 
of  anxiety  in  her  eyes  as  he  looked  up  into 
them,  followed  instantly  by  one  of  relief. 
Then  she  passed  into  the  car.  She  had  seen 
him  swing  upon  the  moving  steps  and  had 
feared  for  his  safety — had  shown  in  her  glo- 
rious face  that  she  was  glad  he  did  not  fall  be- 
neath the  wheels.  Doubtless  she  would  have 
been  as  solicitous  had  he  been  the  porter  or 
the  brakeman,  he  reasoned,  but  that  she  had 
noticed  him  at  all  pleased  him. 

At  Abilene  he  bought  the  Kansas  City  news- 
papers. After  breakfast  he  found  a  seat  in  the 
observation  car  and  settled  himself  to  read. 
Presently  some  one  took  a  seat  behind  him. 
He  did  not  look  back,  but  unconcernedly  cast 
his  eyes  upon  the  broad  mirror  in  the  opposite 
car  wall.  Instantly  he  forgot  his  paper.  She 
was  sitting  within  five  feet  of  him,  a  book  in 
her  lap,  her  gaze  bent  briefly  on  the  flitting 
buildings  outside.  He  studied  the  reflection 
furtively  until  she  took  up  the  book  and  began 
to  read.  Up  to  this  time  he  had  wondered 
why  some  nonsensical  idiot  had  wasted  looking- 


MR.  LORR  Y  SEEKS  AD  VENTURE       1 1 

glasses  on  the  walls  of  a  railway  coach ;  now 
he  was  thinking  of  him  as  a  far-sighted  man. 

The  first  page  of  his  paper  was  fairly  alive 
with  fresh  and  important  dispatches,  chiefly 
foreign.  At  length,  after  allowing  himself  to 
become  really  interested  in  a  Paris  dispatch  of 
some  international  consequence,  he  turned  his 
eyes  again  to  the  mirror.  She  was  leaning 
slightly  forward,  holding  the  open  book  in  her 
lap,  but  reading,  with  straining  eyes,  an  article 
in  the  paper  he  held. 

He  calmly  turned  to  the  next  page  and 
looked  leisurely  over  it.  Another  glance, 
quickly  taken,  showed  to  him  a  disappointed 
frown  on  the  pretty  face  and  a  reluctant 
resumption  of  novel  reading.  A  few  moments 
later  he  turned  back  to  the  first  page,  holding 
the  paper  in  such  a  position  that  she  could  not 
see,  and,  full  of  curiosity,  read  every  line  of 
the  foreign  news,  wondering  what  had  inter- 
ested her. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  Lorry  would 
have  offered  her  the  paper,  and  thought  noth- 
ing more  of  it.  With  her,  however,  there  was 
an  air  that  made  him  hesitate.  He  felt 
strangely  awkward  and  inexperienced  beside 
her;  precedents  did  not  seem  to  count.  He 
arose,  tossed  the  paper  over  the  back  of  the 


I  a  GRAUSTARK 

chair  as  if  casting  it  aside  forever,  and  strolled 
to  the  opposite  window  and  looked  out  for  a 
few  moments,  jingling  his  coins  carelessly. 
The  jingle  of  the  pieces  suggested  something 
else  to  him.  His  paper  still  hung  invitingly, 
upside  down,  as  he  had  left  it,  on  the  chair, 
and  the  lady  was  poring  over  her  novel.  As 
he  passed  her  he  drew  his  right  hand  from  his 
pocket  and  a  piece  of  money  dropped  to  the 
floor  at  her  feet.  Then  began  an  embarrassed 
search  for  the  coin — in  the  wrong  direction,  of 
course.  He  knew  precisely  where  it  had 
rolled,  but  purposely  looked  under  the  seats  on 
the  other  side  of  the  car.  She  drew  her  skirts 
aside  and  assisted  in  the  search.  Four  differ- 
ent times  he  saw  the  little  piece  of  money,  but 
did  not  pick  it  up.  Finally,  laughing  awk- 
wardly, he  began  to  search  on  her  side  of  the 
car.  Whereupon  she  rose  and  gave  him  more 
room.  She  became  interested  in  the  search 
and  bent  over  to  scan  the  dark  corners  with 
eager  eyes.  Their  heads  were  very  close  to- 
gether more  than  once.  At  last  she  uttered  an 
exclamation,  and  her  hand  went  to  the  floor  in 
triumph.  They  arose  together,  flushed  and 
smiling.  She  had  the  coin  in  her  hand. 

"I  have  it,"  she  said,  gaily,  a  delicious  for- 
eign tinge  to  the  words. 


MR.  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE        13 

"I  thank  you "  he  began,  holding  out  his 

hand  as  if  in  a  dream  of  ecstacy,  but  her  eyes  had 
fallen  momentarily  on  the  object  of  their  search. 

"Oh!"  she  exclaimed,  the  prettiest  surprise 
in  the  world  coming  into  her  face.  It  was  a 
coin  from  her  faraway  homeland,  and  she  was 
betrayed  into  the  involuntary  exclamation. 
Instantly,  however,  she  regained  her  com- 
posure and  dropped  the  piece  into  his  out- 
stretched hand,  a  proud  flush  mounting  to  her 
cheek,  a  look  of  cold  reserve  to  her  eyes.  He 
had  hoped  she  would  offer  some  comment  on 
what  she  must  have  considered  a  strange  coin- 
cidence, but  he  was  disappointed.  He  won- 
dered if  she  even  heard  him  say : 

"I  am  sorry  to  have  troubled  you." 

She  had  resumed  her  seat,  and,  to  him,  there 
seemed  a  thousand  miles  between  them.  Feel- 
ing decidedly  uncomfortable  and  not  a  little 
abashed,  he  left  her  and  strode  to  the  door. 
Again  a  mirror  gave  him  a  thrill.  This  time 
it  was  the  glass  in  the  car's  end.  He  had 
taken  but  a  half  dozen  steps  when  the  brown 
head  was  turned  slyly  and  a  pair  of  interested 
eyes  looked  after  him.  She  did  not  know  that 
he  could  see  her,  so  he  had  the  satisfaction  of 
9bserving  that  pretty,  puzzled  face  plainly 
until  he  passed  through  the  door. 


14  GRA  USTARK 

Grenfall  had  formed  many  chance  acquaint- 
ances during  his  travels,  sometimes  taking 
risks  and  liberties  that  were  refreshingly  bold. 
He  had  seldom  been  repulsed,  strange  to  say, 
and  as  he  went  to  his  section  dizzily,  he 
thought  of  the  good  fortune  that  had  been  his 
in  other  attempts,  and  asked  himself  why  it 
had  not  occurred  to  him  to  make  the  same 
advances  in  the  present  instance.  Somehow 
she  was  different.  There  was  that  strange 
dignity,  that  pure  beauty,  that  imperial  man- 
ner, all  combining  to  forbid  the  faintest 
thought  of  familiarity. 

He  was  more  than  astonished  at  himself  for 
having  tricked  her  a  few  moments  before  into 
a  perfectly  natural  departure  from  indiffer- 
ence. She  had  been  so  reserved  and  so  nat- 
ural that  he  looked  back  and  asked  himself 
what  had  happened  to  flatter  his  vanity  except 
a  passing  show  of  interest.  With  this,  he 
smiled  and  recalled  similar  opportunities  in 
days  gone  by,  all  of  which  had  been  turned  to 
advantage  and  had  resulted  in  amusing  pas- 
times. And  here  was  a  pretty  girl  with  an  air 
of  mystery  about  her,  worthy  of  his  best 
efforts,  but  toward  whom  he  had  not  dared  to 
turn  a  frivolous  eye. 

He  took  out  the  coin  and  leaned  back  in  his 


MR.  LORR  Y  SEEKS  A  D  VENTURE       1 5 

chair,  wondering  where  it  came  from.  "In 
any  case,"  he  thought,  "it'll  make  a  good 
pocket-piece  and  some  day  111  find  some  idiot 
who  knows  more  about  geography  than  I  do." 
Mr.  Lorry's  own  ideas  of  geography  were 
jumbled  and  vague — as  if  he  had  got  them  by 
studying  the  labels  on  his  hat-box.  He  knew 
the  places  he  had  been  to,  and  he  recognized  a 
new  country  by  the  annoyances  of  the  customs 
house,  but  beyond  this  his  ignorance  was 
complete.  The  coin,  so  far  as  he  knew,  might 
have  come  from  any  one  of  a  hundred  small 
principalities  scattered  about  the  continent. 
Yet  it  bothered  him  a  little  that  he  could  not 
tell  which  one.  He  was  more  than  curious 
about  a  very  beautiful  young  woman — in  fact, 
he  was  undeniably  interested  in  her.  He 
pleasantly  called  himself  an  "ass"  to  have  his 
head  turned  by  a  pretty  face,  a  foreign  accent 
and  an  insignificant  coin,  and  yet  he  was  fasci- 
nated. 

Before  the  train  reached  St.  Louis  he  made 
up  his  mind  to  change  cars  there  and  go  to 
Washington  with  her.  It  also  occurred  to  him 
that  he  might  go  on  to  New  York  if  the  spell 
lasted.  During  the  day  he  telegraphed  ahead 
for  accommodations;  and  when  the  flyer 
arrived  in  St.  Louis  that  evening  he  hurriedly 


1 6  GRAUSTARK 

attended  to  the  transferring  and  rechecking  of 
his  baggage,  bought  a  new  ticket,  and  dined. 
At  eight  he  was  in  the  station,  and  at  8:  15  he 
passed  her  in  the  aisle.  She  was  standing  in 
her  stateroom  door,  directing  her  maid.  He 
saw  a  look  of  surprise  flit  across  her  face  as  he 
passed.  He  slept  soundly  that  night,  and 
dreamed  that  he  was  crossing  the  ocean  with 
her. 

At  breakfast  he  saw  her,  but  if  she  saw  him 
it  was  when  he  was  not  looking  at  her.  Once 
he  caught  Uncle  Caspar  staring  at  him  through 
his  monocle,  which  dropped  instantly  from  his 
eye  in  the  manner  that  is  always  self-explana- 
tory. She  had  evidently  called  the  uncle's 
attention  to  him,  but  was  herself  looking 
sedately  from  the  window  when  Lorry  unfor- 
tunately spoiled  the  scrutiny.  His  spirits  took 
a  furious  bound  with  the  realization  that  she 
had  deigned  to  honor  him  by  recognition,  if 
only  to  call  attention  to  him  because  he  pos- 
sessed a  certain  coin. 

Once  the  old  gentleman  asked  him  the  time 
of  day  and  set  his  watch  according  to  the  reply. 
In  Ohio  the  man-servant  scowled  at  him  be- 
cause he  involuntarily  stared  after  his  mistress 
as  she  paced  the  platform  while  the  train 
waited  at  a  station.  Again,  in  Ohio,  they  met 


MR.  LORR  Y  SEEKS  A  D  VENTURE       1 7 

in  the  vestibule,  and  he  was  compelled  to  step 
aside  to  allow  her  to  pass.  He  did  not  feel 
particularly  jubilant  over  this  meeting ;  she  did 
not  even  glance  at  him. 

Lorry  realized  that  his  opportunities  were 
fast  disappearing,  and  that  he  did  not  seem  to 
be  any  nearer  meeting  her  than  when  they 
started.  He  had  hoped  to  get  Uncle  Caspar 
into  a  conversation  and  then  use  him,  but 
Uncle  Caspar  was  as  distant  as  an  iceberg. 
' '  If  there  should  be  a  wreck, ' '  Grenf all  caught 
himself  thinking,  "then  my  chance  would 
come ;  but  I  don't  see  how  Providence  is  going 
to  help  me  in  any  other  way. ' ' 

Near  the  close  of  the  day,  after  they  left  St. 
Louis,  the  train  began  to  wind  through  the 
foothills  of  the  Alleghenies.  Bellaire,  Grafton 
and  other  towns  were  left  behind,  and  they 
were  soon  whirling  up  the  steep  mountain, 
higher  and  higher,  through  tunnel  after  tun- 
nel, nearer  and  nearer  to  Washington  every 
minute.  As  they  were  pulling  out  of  a  little 
mining  town  built  on  the  mountain  side,  a 
sudden  jar  stopped  the  train.  There  was  some 
little  excitement  and  a  scramble  for  informa- 
tion. Some  part  of  the  engine  was  disabled, 
and  it  would  be  necessary  to  replace  it  before 
the  "run"  could  proceed. 


i8  GRA  USTARK 

Lorry  strolled  up  to  the  crowd  of  passengers 
who  were  watching  the  engineer  and  fireman 
at  work.  A  clear,  musical  voice,  almost  in 
his  ear,  startled  him,  for  he  knew  to  whom  it 
belonged.  She  addressed  the  conductor,  who, 
impatient  and  annoyed,  stood  immediately 
behind  him. 

"How  long  are  we  to  be  delayed?"  she 
asked.  Just  two  minutes  before  this  same 
conductor  had  responded  most  ungraciously  to 
a  simple  question  Lorry  had  asked  and  had 
gone  so  far  as  to  instruct  another  inquisitive 
traveler  to  go  to  a  warmer  climate  because  he 
persisted  in  asking  for  information  which  could 
not  be  given  except  by  a  clairvoyant.  But 
now  he  answered  in  most  affable  tones : 

"We'll  be  here  for  thirty  minutes,  at  least, 
Miss — perhaps  longer." 

She  walked  away,  after  thanking  him,  and 
Grenfall  looked  at  his  watch. 

Off  the  main  street  of  the  town  ran  little 
lanes  leading  to  the  mines  below.  They  all 
ended  at  the  edge  of  a  steep  declivity.  There 
was  a  drop  of  almost  four  hundred  feet  straight 
into  the  valley  below.  Along  the  sides  of  this 
valley  were  the  entrances  to  the  mines. 
Above,  on  the  ledge,  was  the  machinery  for 


MR.  LORRY  SEEKS  ADVENTURE       19 

lifting  the  ore  to  the  high  ground  on  which 
stood  the  town  and  railroad  yards. 

Down  one  of  these  streets  walked  the  young 
lady,  curiously  interested  in  all  about  her. 
She  seemed  glad  to  escape  from  the  train  and 
its  people,  and  she  hurried  along,  the  fresh 
spring  wind  blowing  her  hair  from  beneath  her 
cap,  the  ends  of  her  long  coat  fluttering. 

Lorry  stood  on  the  platform  watching  her; 
then  he  lighted  a  cigarette  and  followed.  He 
had  a  vague  feeling  that  she  ought  not  to  be 
alone  with  all  the  workmen.  She  started  to 
come  back  before  he  reached  her,  however, 
and  he  turned  again  toward  the  station.  Then 
he  heard  a  sudden  whistle,  and  a  minute  later 
from  the  end  of  the  street  he  saw  the  train 
pulling  out.  Lorry  had  rather  distinguished 
himself  in  college  as  a  runner,  and  instinctively 
he  dashed  up  the  street,  reaching  the  tracks  just 
in  time  to  catch  the  railing  of  the  last  coach. 
But  there  he  stopped  and  stood  with  thumping 
heart  while  the  coaches  slid  smoothly  up  the 
track,  leaving  him  behind.  He  remembered  he 
was  not  the  only  one  left,  and  he  panted  and 
smiled.  It  occurred  to  him — when  it  was  too 
late — that  he  might  have  got  on  the  train  and 
pulled  the  rope  or  called  the  conductor,  but 
that  was  out  of  the  question  now.  After  all, 


20  GRA  USTARK 

it  might  not  be  such  a  merry  game  to  stay  in 
that  filthy  little  town ;  it  did  not  follow  that 
she  would  prove  friendly. 

A  few  moments  later  she  appeared — wholly 
unconscious  of  what  had  happened.  A  glance 
down  the  track  and  her  face  was  the  picture  of 
despair. 

Then  she  saw  him  coming  toward  her  with 
long  strides,  flushed  and  excited.  Regardless 
of  appearances,  conditions  or  consequences, 
she  hurried  to  meet  him. 

"Where  is  the  train?"  she  gasped,  as  the  dis- 
tance between  them  grew  short,  her  blu6  eyes 
seeking  his  beseechingly,  her  hands  clasped. 

4 'It  has  gone." 

"Gone?    And  we — we  are  left?" 

He  nodded,  delighted  by  the  word  "we." 

"The  conductor  said  thirty  minutes ;  it  has 
been  but  twenty,"  she  cried,  half  tearfully, 
half  angrily,  looking  at  her  watch.  "Oh,  what 
shall  I  do?"  she  went  on,  distractedly.  He  had 
enjoyed  the  sweet,  despairing  tones,  but  this 
last  wail  called  for  manly  and  instant  action. 

"Can  we  catch  the  train?  We  must!  I  will 
give  one  thousand  dollars.  I  must  catch  it." 
She  had  placed  her  gloved  hand  against  a  tele- 
graph pole  to  steady  her  trembling,  but  her 
face  was  resolute,  imperious,  commanding. 


MR.  LORR  Y  SEEKS  AD  VENTURE       a  I 

She  was  ordering  him  to  obey  as  she  would 
have  commanded  a  slave.  In  her  voice  there 
was  authority,  in  her  eye  there  was  fear.  She 
could  control  the  one  but  not  the  other. 

"We  cannot  catch  the  flyer.  I  want  to  catch 
it  as  much  as  you  and" — here  he  straightened 
himself — "I  would  add  a  thousand  to  yours. " 
He  hesitated  a  moment — thinking.  "There  is 
but  one  way,  and  no  time  to  lose. " 

With  this  he  turned  and  ran  rapidly  toward 
the  little  depot  and  telegraph  office. 


n 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH 

Lorry  wasted  very  little  time.  He  dashed 
into  the  depot  and  up  to  the  operator's  win- 
dow. 

"What's  the  nearest  station  east  of  here?" 

"P ,"  leisurely  answered  the  agent,  in 

some  surprise. 

"How  far  is  it?" 
*Four  miles." 

"Telegraph  ahead  and  hold  the  train  that 
just  left  here." 

"The  train  don't  stop  there." 

"It's  got  to  stop  there — or  there'll  be  more 
trouble  than  this  road  has  had  since  it  began 
business.  The  conductor  pulled  out  and  left 
two  of  his  passengers — gave  out  wrong  infor- 
mation, and  he'll  have  to  hold  his  train  there 
or  bring  her  back  here.  If  you  don't  send  that 
order  I'll  report  you  as  well  as  the  conductor." 
Grenfall's  manner  was  commanding.  The 
agent's  impression  was  that  he  was  important — 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         23 

that  he  had  a  right  to  give  orders.  But  he 
hesitated. 

"There's  no  way  for  you  but  to  get  to  P 

anyway,"  he  said,  while  turning  the  matter 
over  in  his  mind. 

"You  stop  that  train!  I'll  get  there  inside 
of  twenty  minutes.  Now,  be  quick!  Wire 
them  to  hold  her — or  there'll  be  an  order  from 
headquarters  for  some  ninety-day  lay-offs." 
The  agent  stared  at  him ;  then  turned  to  his 
instrument,  and  the  message  went  forward. 
Lorry  rushed  out.  On  the  platform  he  nearly 
ran  over  the  hurrying  figure  in  the  tan  coat. 

"Pardon  me.  I'll  explain  things  in  a  min- 
ute," he  gasped,  and  dashed  away.  Her 
troubled  eyes  blinked  with  astonishment. 

At  the  end  of  the  platform  stood  a  mountain 
coach,  along  the  sides  of  which  was  printed  in 
yellow  letters:  "Happy  Springs. "  The  driver 
was  climbing  up  to  his  seat  and  the  cumber- 
some trap  was  empty. 

"Want  to  make  ten  dollars?"  cried  Grenfall. 

"What  say?"  demanded  the  driver,  half  fall- 
ing to  the  ground. 

"Get  me  to  P inside  of  twenty  minutes, 

and  I'll  give  you  ten  dollars.  Hurry  up! 
Answer!" 

"Yes,  but,  you  see,  I'm  hired  to " 


34  GRA  USTARK 

"Oh,  that's  all  right!  You'll  never  make 
money  easier.  Can  you  get  us  there  in  twenty 
minutes?" 

"It's  four  mile,  pardner,  and  not  very  good 
road,  either.  Pile  in,  and  we'll  make  it  er  kill 
old  Hip  and  Jim.  Miss  the  train?" 

"Get  yourself  ready  for  a  race  with  an  ex- 
press train  and  don't  ask  questions.  Kill  'em 
both  if  you  have  to.  I'll  be  back  in  a  second!" 

Back  to  the  station  he  tore.  She  was  stand- 
ing near  the  door,  looking  up  the  track  miser- 
ably. Already  night  was  falling.  Men  were 
lighting  the  switch  lanterns  and  the  mountains 
were  turning  into  great  dark  shadows. 

"Come  quickly;  I  have  a  wagon  out  here." 

Resistlessly  she  was  hurried  along  and  fairly 
shoved  through  the  open  door  of  the  odd-look- 
ing coach.  He  was  beside  her  on  the  seat  in  an 
instant,  and  her  bewildered  ears  heard  him  say: 

"Drive  like  the  very  deuce!"  Then  the 
door  slammed,  the  driver  clattered  up  to  his 
seat,  and  the  horses  were  off  with  a  rush. 

"Where  are  we  going?"  she  demanded,  sit- 
ting very  straight  and  defiant. 

"After  that  train.  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it 
when  I  get  my  breath.  This  is  to  be  the 
quickest  escape  from  a  dilemma  on  record — 
providing  it  is  an  escape."  By  this  time  they 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         25 

were  bumping  along  the  flinty  road  at  a  lively 
rate,  jolting  about  on  the  seat  in  a  most  dis- 
concerting manner.  After  a  few  long,  deep 
breaths  he  told  her  how  the  ride  in  the  Springs 
hack  had  been  conceived  and  of  the  arrange- 
ment he  had  made  with  the  despatcher.  He 
furthermore  acquainted  her  with  the  cause  of 
his  being  left  when  he  might  have  caught  the 
train. 

"Just  as  I  reached  the  track,  out  of  breath 
but  rejoicing,  I  remembered  having  seen  you 
on  that  side  street,  and  knew  that  you  would  be 
left.  It  would  have  been  heartless  to  leave 
you  here  without  protection,  so  I  felt  it  my 
duty  to  let  the  train  go  and  help  you  out  of  a 
very  ugly  predicament." 

"How  can  I  ever  repay  you?"  she  mur- 
mured. "It  was  so  good  and  so  thoughtful  of 
you.  Oh,  I  should  have  died  had  I  been  left 
here  alone.  Do  you  not  think  my  uncle  will 
miss  me  and  have  the  train  sent  back?"  she 
went  on,  sagely. 

"That's  so!"  he  exclaimed,  somewhat  dis- 
concerted. "But  I  don't  know,  either.  He 
may  not  miss  you  for  a  long  time,  thinking  you 
are  in  some  other  car,  you  know.  That  could 
easily  happen, ' '  triumphantly. 

"Can  this  man  get  us  to  the  next  station  in 


«6  GRA  USTARK 

time?"  she  questioned,  looking  at  the  black 
mountains  and  the  dense  foliage.  It  was  now 
quite  dark. 

"If  he  doesn't  bump  us  to  death  before  we 
get  half  way  there.  He's  driving  like  the 
wind." 

"You  must  let  me  pay  half  his  bill,"  she 
said,  decidedly,  from  the  dark  corner  in  which 
she  was  huddling. 

He  could  find  no  response  to  this  peremptory 
request. 

"The  road  is  growing  rougher.  If  you  will 
allow  me  to  make  a  suggestion,  I  think  you 
will  see  its  wisdom.  You  can  escape  a  great 
deal  of  ugly  jostling  if  you  will  take  hold  of  my 
arm  and  cling  to  it  tightly.  I  will  brace  my- 
self with  this  strap.  I  am  sure  it  will  save  you 
many  hard  bumps. ' ' 

Without  a  word  she  moved  to  his  side  and 
wound  her  strong  little  arm  about  his  big  one. 

"I  had  thought  of  that,"  she  said,  simply. 
"Thank  you."  Then,  after  a  moment,  wMle 
his  heart  thumped  madly:  "Had  it  occurred  to 
you  that  after  you  ran  so  hard  you  might  have 
climbed  aboard  the  train  and  ordered  the  con- 
ductor to  stop  it  for  me?" 

"I — I  never  thought  of  that!"  he  cried,  con- 
fusedly. 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         27 

"Please  do  not  think  me  ungrateful.  You 
have  been  very  good  to  me,  a  stranger.  One 
often  thinks  afterward  of  things  one  might 
have  done,  don't  you  know?  You  did  the 
noblest  when  you  inconvenienced  yourself  for 
me.  What  trouble  I  have  made  for  you." 
She  said  this  so  prettily  that  he  came  gaily 
from  the  despondency  into  which  her  shrewd- 
ness, bordering  on  criticism,  had  thrown  him. 
He  knew  perfectly  well  that  she  was  question- 
ing his  judgment  and  presence  of  mind,  and, 
the  more  he  thought  of  it,  the  more  transpar- 
ent became  the  absurdity  of  his  action. 

"It  has  been  no  trouble,"  he  floundered. 
"An  adventure  like  this  is  worth  no  end  of — 
er — inconvenience,  as  you  call  it.  I'm  sure  I 
must  have  lost  my  head  completely,  and  I  am 
ashamed  of  myself.  How  much  anxiety  I 
could  have  saved  you  had  I  been  possessed  of 
an  ounce  of  brains!" 

"Hush!  I  will  not  allow  you  to  say  that. 
You  would  have  me  appear  ungrateful  when  I 
certainly  am  not.  Ach,  how  he  is  driving! 
Do  you  think  it  dangerous?"  she  cried,  as  the 
hack  gave  two  or  three  wild  lurches,  throwing 
him  into  the  corner,  and  the  girl  half  upon 
him. 

"Not  in  the  least,"  he  gasped,  the  breath 


28  GRA  U STARK 

knocked  out  of  his  body.  Just  the  same,  he 
was  very  much  alarmed.  It  was  as  dark  as 
pitch  outside  and  in,  and  he  could  not  help 
wondering  how  near  the  edge  of  the  mountain 
side  they  were  running.  A  false  move  of  the 
flying  horses  and  they  might  go  rolling  to  the 
bottom  of  the  ravine,  hundreds  of  feet  below. 
Still,  he  must  not  let  her  see  his  apprehension. 
"This  fellow  is  considered  the  best  driver  in 
the  mountains,"  he  prevaricated.  Just  then 
he  remembered  having  detected  liquor  on  the 
man's  breath  as  he  closed  the  door  behind  him. 
Perhaps  he  was  intoxicated ! 

"Do  you  know  him?"  questioned  the  clear 
voice,  her  lips  close  to  his  ear,  her  warm  body 
pressing  against  his. 

"Perfectly.  He  is  no  other  than  Light- 
horse  Jerry,  the  king  of  stage  drivers."  In 
the  darkness  he  smiled  to  himself  maliciously. 

"Oh,  then  we  need  feel  no  alarm,"  she  said, 
reassured,  not  knowing  that  Jerry  existed  only 
in  the  yellow-backed  novel  her  informant  had 
read  when  a  boy. 

There  was  such  a  roaring  and  clattering  that 
conversation  became  almost  impossible.  When 
either  spoke  it  was  with  the  mouth  close  to  the 
ear  of  the  other.  At  such  times  Grenfall  could 
feel  her  breath  on  his  cheek.  Her  sweet  voice 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         29 

went  tingling  to  his  toes  with  every  word  she 
uttered.  He  was  in  a  daze,  out  of  which  sung 
the  mad  wish  that  he  might  clasp  her  in  his 
arms,  kiss  her,  and  then  go  tumbling  down  the 
mountain.  She  trembled  in  the  next  fierce 
lurches,  but  gave  forth  no  complaint.  He 
knew  that  she  was  in  terror  but  too  brave  to 
murmur. 

Unable*  to  resist,  he  released  the  strap  to 
which  he  had  clung  so  grimly,  and  placed  his 
strong,  firm  hand  encouragingly  over  the  little 
one  that  gripped  his  arm  with  the  clutch  of 
death.  It  was  very  dark  and  very  lonely, 
too! 

"Oh!"  she  cried,  as  his  hand  clasped  hers. 
"You  must  hold  to  the  strap." 

"It  is  broken!"  he  lied,  gladly.  "There  is 
no  danger.  See!  My  hand  does  not  tremble, 
does  it?  Becalm!  It  cannot  be  much  farther. " 

"Will  it  not  be  dreadful  if  the  conductor  re- 
fuses to  stop?"  she  cried,  her  hand  resting 
calmly  beneath  its  protector.  He  detected  a 
tone  of  security  in  her  voice. 

"But  he  will  stop!  Your  uncle  will  see  to 
that,  even  if  the  operator  fails." 

"My  uncle  will  kill  him  if  he  does  not  stop 
or  come  back  for  me,"  she  said,  complacently. 

"I  was  not  wrong,"  thought  Grenf all;  "he 


30  GRA  USTARK 

looks  like  a  duelist.  Who  the  devil  are  they, 
anyhow?"  Then  aloud:  "At  this  rate  we'd  be 
able  to  beat  the  train  to  Washington  in  a 
straight-away  race.  Isn't  it  a  delightfully  wild 
ride?" 

"I  have  acquired  a  great  deal  of  knowledge 
in  America,  but  this  is  the  first  time  I  have 
heard  your  definition  of  delight.  I  agree  that 
it  is  wild."  • 

For  some  moments  there  was  silence  in  the 
noisy  conveyance.  Outside,  the  crack  of  the 
driver's  whip,  his  hoarse  cries,  and  the  nerve- 
destroying  crash  of  the  wheels  produced  im- 
pressions of  a  mighty  storm  rather  than  of 
peace  and  pleasure. 

"I  am  curious  to  know  where  you  obtained 
the  coin  you  lost  in  the  car  yesterday,"  she 
said  at  last,  as  if  relieving  her  mind  of  a  ques- 
tion that  had  been  long  subdued. 

"The  one  you  so  kindly  found  for  me?"  he 
asked,  procrastinatingly. 

"Yes.  They  are  certainly  rare  in  this 
country." 

"I  never  saw  a  coin  like  it  until  after  I  had 
seen  you,"  he  confessed.  He  felt  her  arm 
press  his  a  little  tighter,  and  there  was  a  quick 
movement  of  her  head  which  told  him,  dark  as 
it  was,  that  she  was  trying  to  see  his  face  and 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         31 

that  her  blue  eyes  were  wide  with  something 
more  than  terror. 

"I  do  not  understand,"  she  exclaimed. 

"I  obtained  the  coin  from  a  sleeping-car 
porter  who  said  some  one  gave  it  to  him  and 
told  him  to  have  a  'high  time'  with  it,"  he  ex- 
plained in  her  ear. 

"He  evidently  did  not  care  for  the  *high 
time, '  ' '  she  said,  after  a  moment.  He  would 
have  given  a  fortune  for  one  glimpse  of  her 
face  at  that  instant. 

"I  think  he  said  it  would  be  necessary  to  go 
to  Europe  in  order  to  follow  the  injunction  of 
the  donor.  As  I  am  more  likely  to  go  to 
Europe  than  he,  I  relieved  him  of  the  necessity 
and  bought  his  right  to  a  'high  time.'  " 

There  was  a  long  pause,  during  which  she 
attempted  to  withdraw  herself  from  his  side, 
her  little  fingers  struggling  timidly  beneath  the 
big  ones. 

"Are  you  a  collector  of  coins?"  she  asked 
at  length,  a  perceptible  coldness  in  her 
voice. 

"No.  I  am  considered  a  dispenser  of  coins. 
Still,  I  rather  like  the  idea  of  possessing  this 
queer  bit  of  money  as  a  pocket-piece.  I  in- 
tend to  keep  it  forever,  and  let  it  descend  as 
an  heirloom  to  the  generations  that  follow 


32  GRA  USTARK 

me,"  he  said,  laughingly.  "Why  are  you  so 
curious  about  it?" 

"Because  it  comes  from  the  city  and  country 
in  which  I  live,"  she  responded.  "If  you 
were  in  a  land  far  from  your  own  would  you 
not  be  interested  in  anything — even  a  coin — 
that  reminded  you  of  home?" 

"Especially  if  I  had  not  seen  one  of  its  kind 
since  leaving  home, ' '  he  replied,  insinuatingly. 

"Oh,  but  I  have  seen  many  like  it.  In  my 
purse  there  are  several  at  this  minute. ' ' 

"Isn't  it  strange  that  this  particular  coin 
should  have  reminded  you  of  home?" 

"You  have  no  right  to  question  me,  sir," 
she  said,  coldly,  drawing  away,  only  to  be 
lurched  back  again.  In  spite  of  herself  she 
laughed  audibly. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said,  tantalizingly. 

"When  did  he  give  it  you?" 

"Who?" 

"The  porter,  sir." 

"You  have  no  right  to  question  me,"  he  said. 

"Oh!"  she  gasped.  "I  did  not  mean  to  be 
inquisitive." 

"But  I  grant  the  right.  He  gave  it  me  in- 
side of  two  hours  after  I  first  entered  the  car." 

"At  Denver?" 

"How  do  you  know  I  got  on  at  Denver?" 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         33 

"Why,  you  passed  me  in  the  aisle  with  your 
luggage.  Don't  you  remember?" 

Did  he  remember!  His  heart  almost  turned 
over  with  the  joy  of  knowing  that  she  had 
really  noticed  and  remembered  him.  Involun- 
tarily his  glad  fingers  closed  down  upon  the 
gloved  hand  that  lay  beneath  them. 

"I  believe  I  do  remember,  now  that  you 
speak  of  it,"  he  said,  in  a  stifled  voice.  "You 
were  standing  at  a  window?" 

"Yes;  and  I  saw  you  kissing  those  ladies 
goodby,  too.  Was  one  of  them  your  wife,  or 
were  they  all  your  sisters?  I  have  wondered." 

"They — they  were — cousins,"  he  informed 
her,  confusedly,  recalling  an  incident  that  had 
been  forgotten.  He  had  kissed  Mary  Lyons 
and  Edna  Burrage — but  their  brothers  were 
present  "A  foolish  habit,  isn't  it?" 

"I  do  not  know.  I  have  no  grown  cousins," 
she  replied,  demurely.  "You  Americans  have 
such  funny  customs,  though.  Where  I  live,  no 
gentleman  would  think  of  pressing  a  lady's 
hand  until  it  pained  her.  Is  it  necessary?" 
In  the  question  there  was  a  quiet  dignity,  half 
submerged  in  scorn,  so  pointed,  so  unmistak- 
able that  he  flushed,  turned  cold  with  mortifi- 
cation, and  hastily  removed  the  amorous  fin- 
gers. 


34  GRA  USTARK 

"I  crave  your  pardon.  It  is  such  a  strain  to 
hold  myself  and  you  against  the  rolling  of  this 
wagon  that  I  unconsciously  gripped  your  hand 
harder  than  I  knew.  You — you  will  not  mis- 
understand my  motive?"  he  begged,  fearful 
lest  he  had  offended  her  by  his  ruthlessness. 

"I  could  not  misunderstand  something  that 
does  not  exist,"  she  said,  simply,  proudly. 

"By  Jove,  she's  beyond  comparison!"  he 
thought. 

"You  have  explained,  and  I  am  sorry  I 
spoke  as  I  did.  I  shall  not  again  forget  how 
much  I  owe  you. ' ' 

"Your  indebtedness,  if  there  be  one,  does 
not  deprive  you  of  the  liberty  to  speak  to  me 
as  you  will.  You  could  not  say  anything  un- 
just without  asking  my  forgiveness,  and  when 
you  do  that  you  more  than  pay  the  debt. 
It  is  worth  a  great  deal  to  me  to  hear  you 
say  that  you  owe  something  to  me,  for  I  am 
only  too  glad  to  be  your  creditor.  If  there 
is  a  debt,  you  shall  never  pay  it;  it  is  too 
pleasant  an  account  to  be  settled  with  'you're 
welcome. '  If  you  insist  that  you  owe  much  to 
me,  I  shall  refuse  to  cancel  the  debt,  and  allow 
it  to  draw  interest  forever." 

"What  a  financier!"  she  cried.  "That  jest 
was  worthy  of  a  courtier's  deepest  flattery. 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         35 

Let  me  say  that  I  am  proud  to  owe  my  grati- 
tude to  you.  You  will  not  permit  it  to  grow 
less." 

"That  was  either  irony  or  the  prettiest 
speech  a  woman  ever  uttered,"  he  said, 
warmly.  "I  also  am  curious  about  something. 
You  were  reading  over  my  shoulder  in  the 
observation  car " 

"I  was  not!"  she  exclaimed,  indignantly. 
"How  did  you  know  that?"  she  inconsistently 
went  on. 

"You  forget  the  mirror  in  the  opposite  side 
of  the  car." 

"Ach,  now  I  am  offended." 

"With  a  poor  old  mirror?  For  shame !  Yet, 
in  the  name  of  our  American  glass  industry,  I 
ask  your  forgiveness.  It  shall  not  happen 
again.  You  will  admit  that  you  were  trying  to 
read  over  my  shoulder.  Thanks  for  that  im- 
mutable nod.  Well,  I  am  curious  to  know 
what  you  were  so  eager  to  read. ' ' 

"Since  you  presume  to  believe  the  mirror 
instead  of  me,  I  will  tell  you.  There  was  a 
despatch  on  the  first  page  that  interested  me 
deeply. ' ' 

"I  believe  I  thought  as  much  at  the  time. 
Oh,  confound  this  road!"  For  half  a  mile  or 
more  the  road  had  been  fairly  level,  but,  as 


36  GRA  USTARK 

the  ejaculation  indicates,  a  rough  place  had 
been  reached.  He  was  flung  back  in  the  cor- 
ner violently,  his  head  coming  in  contact  with 
a  sharp  projection  of  some  kind.  The  pain 
was  almost  unbearable,  but  it  was  eased  by 
the  fact  that  she  had  involuntarily  thrown  her 
arm  across  his  chest,  her  hand  grasping  his 
shoulder  spasmodically. 

"Oh,  we  shall  be  killed!"  she  half  shrieked. 
"Can  you  not  stop  him?  This  is  madness — 
madness  !  " 

"Pray  be  calm!  I  was  to  blame,  for  I  had 
become  careless.  He  is  earning  his  money, 
that's  all.  It  was  not  stipulated  in  the  con- 
tract that  he  was  to  consider  the  comfort  of  his 
passengers. ' '  Grenf all  could  feel  himself  turn 
pale  as  something  warm  began  to  trickle  down 
his  neck.  "Now  tell  me  which  despatch  it 
was.  I  read  all  of  them. ' ' 

"You  did?  Of  what  interest  could  they  have 
been?" 

"Curiosity  does  not  recognize  reason." 

"You  read  every  one  of  them?" 

"Assuredly." 

"Then  I  shall  grant  you  the  right  to  guess 
which  interested  me  the  most.  You  Ameri- 
cans delight  in  puzzles,  I  am  told. ' ' 

"Now,  that  is  unfair." 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         37 

"So  it  is.  Did  you  read  the  despatch  from 
Constantinople?"  Her  arm  fell  to  her  side 
suddenly  as  if  she  had  just  realized  its  position. 

"The  one  that  told  of  the  French  ambassador's 
visit  to  the  Sultan?" 

"Concerning  the  small  matter  of  a  loan  of 
some  millions — yes.  Well,  that  was  of  interest 
to  me  inasmuch  as  the  loan,  if  made,  will  affect 
my  country." 

"Will  you  tell  me  what  country  you  are 
from?" 

"I  am  from  Graustark." 

"Yes;  but  I  don't  remember  where  that  is." 

"Is  it  possible  that  your  American  schools 
do  not  teach  geography?  Ours  tell  us  where 
the  United  States  are  located." 

"I  confess  ignorance,"  he  admitted. 

"Then  I  shall  insist  that  you  study  a  map. 
Graustark  is  small,  but  I  am  as  proud  of  it  as 
you  are  of  this  great  broad  country  that  reaches 
from  ocean  to  ocean.  I  can  scarcely  wait  until 
I  again  see  our  dear  crags  and  valleys,  our 
rivers  and  ever-blue  skies,  our  plains  and  our 
towns.  I  wonder  if  you  worship  your  country 
as  I  love  mine." 

"From  the  tenor  of  your  remarks,  I  judge 
that  you  have  been  away  from  home  for  a 
long  time, ' '  he  volunteered. 


38  GRA  USTARK 

"  We  have  seen  something-  of  Asia,  Australia, 
Mexico  and  the  United  States  since  we  left 
Edelweiss,  six  months  ago.  Now  we  are  going 
home — home ! ' '  She  uttered  the  word  so  lov- 
ingly, so  longingly,  so  tenderly,  that  he  envied 
the  homeland. 

There  was  a  long  break  in  the  conversation, 
both  evidently  wrapped  in  thought  which  could 
not  be  disturbed  by  the  whirl  of  the  coach.  He 
was  wondering  how  he  could  give  her  up,  now 
that  she  had  been  tossed  into  his  keeping  so 
strangely.  She  was  asking  herself  over  and 
over  again  how  so  thrilling  an  adventure  would 
end. 

They  were  sore  and  fatigued  with  the  strain 
on  nerve  and  flesh.  It  was  an  experience 
never  to  be  forgotten,  this  romantic  race  over 
the  wild  mountain  road,  the  result  still  in 
doubt.  Ten  minutes  ago — strangers;  now — 
friends  at  least,  neither  knowing  the  other. 
She  was  admiring  him  for  his  generalship,  his 
wonderful  energy;  he  was  blessing  the  fate  that 
had  come  to  his  rescue  when  hope  was  almost 
dead.  He  could  scarcely  realize  that  he  was 
awake.  Could  it  be  anything  but  a  vivid  fancy 
from  which  he  was  to  awaken  and  find  himself 
alone  in  his  berth,  the  buzzing,  clacking  car- 
wheels  piercing  his  ears  with  sounds  so  unlike 


TWO  STRANGERS  IN  A  COACH         39 

those  that  had  been  whispered  into  them  by  a 
voice,  sweet  and  maddening,  from  out  the 
darkness  of  a  dreamland  cab? 

"Surely  we  must  be  almost  at  the  end  of  this 
awful  ride,"  she  moaned,  yielding  completely 
to  the  long  suppressed  alarm.  "Every  bone  in 
my  body  aches.  What  shall  we  do  if  they  have 
not  held  the  train?" 

"Send  for  an  undertaker,"  he  replied  grimly, 
seeing  policy  in  jest.  They  were  now  ascend- 
ing an  incline,  bumping  over  boulders,  hurtling 
through  treacherous  ruts  and  water-washed 
holes,  rolling,  swinging,  jerking,  crashing. 
"You  have  been  brave  all  along;  don't  give  up 
now.  It  is  almost  over.  You'll  soon  be  with 
your  friends. ' ' 

"How  can  I  thank  you?"  she  cried,  gripping 
his  arm  once  more.  Again  his  hand  dropped 
upon  hers  and  closed  gently. 

"I  wish  that  I  could  do  a  thousand  times  as 
much  for  you,"  he  said,  thrillingly,  her  dishev- 
eled hair  touching  his  face  so  close  were  his 
lips.  "Ah,  the  lights  of  the  town!"  he  cried 
an  instant  later.  "Look!" 

He  held  her  so  that  she  could  peer  through 
the  rattling  glass  window.  Close  at  hand, 
higher  up  the  steep,  many  lights  were  twink- 
ling against  the  blackness. 


40  GRA  USTARK 

Almost  before  they  realized  how  near  they 
vrere  to  the  lights,  the  horses  began  to  slacken 
their  speed,  a  moment  later  coming  to  a  stand- 
still. The  awful  ride  was  over. 

"The  train!  the  train!"  she  cried,  in  ecstacy. 
"Here,  on  the  other  side,  Thank  heaven!" 

He  could  not  speak  for  the  joyful  pride  that 
distended  his  heart  almost  to  bursting.  The 
coach  door  flew  open,  and  Light-horse  Jerry 
yelled : 

"Herey'are!     I  made  her!" 

"I  should  say  you  did!"  exclaimed  Grenfall, 
climbing  out  and  drawing  her  after  him  gently. 
"Here's  your  ten." 

"I  must  send  you  something,  too,  my  good 
fellow,"  cried  the  lady.  "What  is  your  ad- 
dress— quick?" 

"William  Perkins,  O ,  West  Virginny, 

ma'am." 

Lorry  was  dragging  her  toward  the  cars  as 
the  driver  completed  the  sentence.  Several 
persons  were  running  down  the  platform, 
dimly  lighted  from  the  string  of  car  windows. 
She  found  time  to  pant  as  they  sped  along: 

"He  was  not  Light-horse  Jerry,  at  all!" 


Ill 


MfSS  GUGGENSLOCKER 

He  laughed,  looking  down  into  her  serious 
upturned  face.  A  brief  smile  of  understanding 
flitted  across  her  lips  as  she  broke  away  from 
him  and  threw  herself  into  the  arms  of  tall, 
excited  Uncle  Caspar.  The  conductor,  several 
trainmen  and  a  few  eager  passengers  came  up, 
the  former  crusty  and  snappish. 

"Well,  get  aboard!"  he  growled.  "We  can't 
wait  all  night." 

The  young  lady  looked  up  quickly,  her 
sensitive  face  cringing  beneath  the  rough  com- 
mand. Lorry  stepped  instantly  to  the  con- 
ductor's side,  shook  his  finger  vigorously  under 
his  nose,  and  exclaimed  in  no  uncertain  tones : 

"Now,  that's  enough  from  you!  If  I  hear 
another  word  out  of  you,  I'll  make  you  sweat 
blood  before  to-morrow  morning.  Under- 
stand, my  friend." 

"Aw,  who  are  you?"  demanded  the  con- 
ductor, belligerently. 

"You'll  learn  that  soon  enough.  After  this 
you'll  have  sense  enough  to  find  out  whom  you 


4*  GRA  USTARK 

are  talking  to  before  you  open  that  mouth  of 
yours.  Not  another  word!"  Mr.  Grenf all  Lorry 
was  not  president  of  the  road,  nor  was  he  in 
any  way  connected  with  it,  but  his  well  as- 
sumed air  of  authority  caused  the  trainman's 
ire  to  dissolve  at  once. 

"Excuse  me,  sir.  I've  been  worried  to  death 
on  this  run.  I  meant  no  offence.  That  old 
gentleman  has  threatened  to  kill  me.  Just  now 
he  took  out  his  watch  and  said  if  I  did  not  run 
back  for  his  niece  in  two  minutes  he'd  call  me 
out  and  run  me  through.  I've  been  nearly 
crazy  here.  For  the  life  of  me,  I  don't  see 
how  you  happened  to  be ' ' 

"Oh,  that's  all  right.  Let's  be  off,"  cried 
Lorry,  who  had  fallen  some  distance  behind  his 
late  companion  and  her  uncle.  Hurrying  after 
them,  he  reached  her  side  in  time  to  assist  her 
in  mounting  the  car  steps. 

"Thank  you,"  smiling  down  upon  him  be- 
witchingly.  At  the  top  of  the  steps  she  was 
met  by  her  aunt,  behind  whom  stood  the  anx- 
ious man-servant  and  the  maid.  Into  the 
coach  she  was  drawn  by  the  relieved  old  lady, 
who  was  critically  inspecting  her  personal  ap- 
pearance when  Lorry  and  the  foreigner  entered. 

"Ach,  it  was  so  wild  and  exhilarating,  Aunt 
Yvonne, ' '  the  girl  was  saying,  her  eyes  spark- 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  43 

ling.  She  stood  straight  and  firm,  her  chin  in 
the  air,  her  hands  in  those  of  her  aunt.  The 
little  traveling  cap  was  on  the  side  of  her 
head,  her  hair  was  loose  and  very  much  awry, 
strands  straying  here,  curls  blowing  there  in 
utter  confusion.  Lorry  fairly  gasped  with 
admiration  for  the  loveliness  that  would  not  be 
vanquished. 

"We  came  like  the  wind!  I  shall  never, 
never  forget  it, ' '  she  said. 

"But  how  could  you  have  remained  there, 
child?  Tell  me  how  it  happened.  We  have 
been  frantic,"  said  her  aunt,  half  in  English, 
half  in  German. 

' '  Not  now,  dear  Aunt  Yvonne.  See  my  hair ! 
What  a  fright  I  must  be!  Fortunate  man, 
your  hair  cannot  be  so  unruly  as  mine.  Oh!" 
The  exclamation  was  one  of  alarm.  In  an 
instant  she  was  at  his  side,  peering  with  terri- 
fied eyes  at  the  bloodstains  on  his  neck  and 
face.  "It  is  blood!  You  are  hurt!  Uncle 
Caspar,  Hedrick — quick!  Attend  him!  Come 
to  my  room  at  once.  You  are  suffering. 
Minna,  find  bandages!" 

She  dragged  him  to  the  door  of  her  section 
before  he  could  interpose  a  remonstrance. 

"It  is  nothing — a  mere  scratch.  Bumped 
my  head  against  the  side  of  the  coach.  Please 


44  GRA  U STARK 

don't  worry  about  it;  lean  care  for  myself. 
Really,  it  doesn't " 

"But  it  does!  It  has  bled  terribly.  Sit 
there !  Now,  Hedrick,  some  water. " 

Hedrick  rushed  off  and  was  back  in  a  mo- 
ment with  a  basin  of  water,  a  sponge  and  a 
towel,  and  before  Grenfall  fully  knew  what  was 
happening,  the  man-servant  was  bathing  his 
head,  the  others  looking  on  anxiously,  the 
young  lady  apprehensively,  her  hands  clasped 
before  her  as  she  bent  over  to  inspect  the 
wound  above  his  ear. 

"It  is  quite  an  ugly  cut,"  said  Uncle  Caspar, 
critically.  "Does  it  pain  you,  sir?" 

"Oh,  not  a  great  deal,"  answered  Lorry, 
closing  his  eyes  comfortably.  It  was  all  very 
pleasant,  he  thought. 

"Should  it  not  have  stitches,  Uncle  Caspar?" 
asked  the  sweet,  eager  voice. 

"I  think  not.  The  flow  is  staunched.  If 
the  gentleman  will  allow  Hedrick  to  trim  the 
hair  away  for  a  plaster  and  then  bandage  it  I 
think  the  wound  will  give  him  no  trouble." 
The  old  man  spoke  slowly  and  in  very  good 
English. 

"Really,  Uncle,  is  it  not  serious?" 

"No,  no,"  interposed  Grenfall  Lorry.  "I 
knew  it  was  a  trifle.  You  cannot  break  an 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  45 

American's  head.  Let  me  go  to  my  own  sec- 
tion and  I'll  be  ready  to  present  myself,  as 
good  as  new,  in  ten  minutes. ' ' 

"You  must  let  Hedrick  bandage  your  head," 
she  insisted.  "Go  with  him,  Hedrick." 

Grenfall  arose  and  started  toward  his  section, 
followed  by  Hedrick. 

"I  trust  you  were  not  hurt  during  that  reck- 
less ride, ' '  he  said,  more  as  a  question,  stop- 
ping in  the  aisle  to  look  back  at  her. 

"I  should  have  been  a  mass  of  bruises, 
gashes  and  lumps  had  it  not  been  for  one 
thing, ' '  she  said,  a  faint  flush  coming  to  her 
cheek,  although  her  eyes  looked  unfalteringly 
into  his.  "Will  you  join  us  in  the  dining  car? 
I  will  have  a  place  prepared  for  you  at  our  table. ' ' 

"Thank  you.  You  are  very  good.  I  shall 
join  you  as  soon  as  I  am  presentable. ' ' 

"We  are  to  be  honored,  sir,"  said  the  old 
gentleman,  but  in  such  a  way  that  Grenfall  had 
a  distinct  feeling  that  it  was  he  who  was  to  be 
honored.  Aunt  Yvonne  smiled  graciously, 
and  he  took  his  departure.  While  Hedrick 
was  dressing  the  jagged  little  cut,  Grenfall 
complacently  surveyed  the  patient  in  the 
mirror  opposite,  and  said  to  himself  a  hundred 
times:  "You  lucky  dog!  It  was  worth  forty 
gashes  like  this.  By  Jove,  she's  divine!" 


46  GRA  USTARK 

In  a  fever  of  eager  haste  he  bathed  and 
attired  himself  for  dinner,  the  imperturbable 
Hedrick  assisting.  One  query  filled  the 
American's  mind:  "I  wonder  if  I  am  to  sit 
beside  her."  And  then:  "I  have  sat  beside 
her!  There  can  never  again  be  such  de- 
light!" 

It  was  seven  o'clock  before  his  rather  un- 
usual toilet  was  completed.  "See  if  they  have 
gone  to  the  diner,  Hedrick,"  he  said  to  the 
man-servant,  who  departed  ceremoniously. 

"I  don't  know  why  he  should  be  so  damned 
polite,"  observed  Lorry,  gazing  wonderingly 
after  him.  "I'm  not  a  king.  That  reminds 
me.  I  must  introduce  myself.  She  doesn't 
know  me  from  Adam." 

Hedrick  returned  and  announced  that  they 
had  just  gone  to  the  dining  car  and  were 
awaiting  him  there.  He  hurried  to  the  diner 
and  made  his  way  to  their  table.  Uncle  Cas- 
par and  his  niece  were  facing  him  as  he  came 
up  between  the  tables,  and  he  saw,  with  no 
little  regret,  that  he  was  to  sit  beside  the 
aunt — directly  opposite  the  girl,  however. 
She  smiled  up  at  him  as  he  stood  before  them, 
bowing.  He  saw  the  expression  of  inquiry  in 
those  deep,  liquid  eyes  of  violet  as  their  gaze 
wandered  over  his  hair. 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  47 

"Your  head?  I  see  no  bandage,"  she  said, 
reproachfully. 

"There  is  a  small  plaster  and  that  is  all. 
Only  heroes  may  have  dangerous  wounds,"  he 
said,  laughingly. 

"Is  heroism  in  America  measured  by  the 
number  of  stitches  or  the  size  of  the  plaster?" 
she  asked,  pointedly.  "In  my  country  it  is  a 
joy,  and  not  a  calamity.  Wounds  are  the  mis- 
fortune of  valor.  Pray,  be  seated,  Mr.  Lorry — 
is  it  not?"  she  said,  pronouncing  it  quaintly. 

He  sat  down  rather  suddenly  on  hearing  her 
utter  his  name.  How  had  she  learned  it?  Not 
a  soul  on  the  train  knew  it,  he  was  sure. 

"I  am  Caspar  Guggenslocker.  Permit  me, 
Mr.  Lorry,  to  present  my  wife  and  my  niece, 
Miss  Guggenslocker,"  said  the  uncle,  more 
gracefully  than  he  had  ever  heard  such  a 
thing  uttered  before. 

In  a  daze,  stunned  by  the  name, — Guggen- 
slocker,— mystified  over  their  acquaintance 
with  his  own  when  he  had  been  foiled  at  every 
fair  attempt  to  learn  theirs,  Lorry  could  only 
mumble  his  acknowledgments.  In  all  his  life 
he  had  never  lost  command  of  himself  as  at 
this  moment.  Guggenslocker !  He  could  feel 
the  dank  sweat  of  disappointment  starting  on 
his  brow.  A  butcher, — a  beer  maker, — a  cob- 


48  GRA  U STARK 

bier, — a  gardener, — all  synonyms  of  'Guggen- 
slocker.  A  sausage  manufacturer's  niece — 
Miss  Guggenslocker !  He  tried  to  glance 
unconcernedly  at  her  as  he  took  up  his  nap- 
kin, but  his  eyes  wavered  helplessly.  She 
was  looking  serenely  at  him,  yet  he  fancied  he 
saw  a  shadow  of  mockery  in  her  blue  eyes. 

"If  you  were  a  novel  writer,  Mr.  Lorry, 
what  manner  of  heroine  would  you  choose?" 
she  asked,  with  a  smile  so  tantalizing  that  he 
understood  instinctively  why  she  was  reviving 
a  topic  once  abandoned.  His  confusion  was 
increased.  Her  uncle  and  aunt  were  regard- 
ing him  calmly, — expectantly,  he  imagined. 

"I — I  have  no  ambition  to  be  a  novel 
writer,"  he  said,  "so  I  have  not  made  a  study 
of  heroines. ' ' 

"But  you  would  have  an  ideal,"  she  per- 
sisted. 

"I'm  sure  I — I  don't — that  is,  she  would  not 
necessarily  be  a  heroine.  Unless,  of  course,  it 
would  require  heroism  to  pose  as  an  ideal  for 
such  a  prosaic  fellow  as  I. " 

"To  begin  with,  you  would  call  her  Clarabel 
Montrose  or  something  equally  as  impossible. 
You  know  the  name  of  a  heroine  in  a  novel 
must  be  euphonious.  That  is  an  exacting 
rule. ' '  It  was  an  open  taunt,  and  he  could  see 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  49 

that  she  was  enjoying  his  discomfiture.  It 
aroused  his  indignation  and  his  wits. 

"I  would  first  give  my  hero  a  distinguished 
name.  No  matter  what  the  heroine's  name 
might  be — pretty  or  otherwise — I  could  easily 
change  it  to  his  in  the  last  chapter."  She 
flushed  beneath  his  now  bright,  keen  eyes  and 
the  ready,  though  unexpected  retort.  Uncle 
Caspar  placed  his  napkin  to  his  lips  and 
coughed.  Aunt  Yvonne  studiously  inspected 
her  bill  of  fare.  "No  matter  what  you  call  a 
rose,  it  is  always  sweet,"  he  added,  meaningly. 

At  this  she  laughed  good-naturedly.  He 
marveled  at  her  white  teeth  and  red  lips.  A 
rose,  after  all.  Guggenslocker,  rose ;  rose,  not 
Guggenslocker.  No,  no!  A  rose  only!  He 
fancied  he  caught  a  sly  look  of  triumph  in  her 
uncle's  swift  glance  toward  her.  But  Uncle 
Caspar  was  not  a  rose — he  was  Guggenslocker. 
Guggenslocker — butcher!  Still,  he  did  not 
look  the  part — no,  indeed.  That  extraordinary 
man  a  butcher,  a  gardener,  a — and  Aunt 
Yvonne?  Yet  they  were  Guggenslockers. 

"Here  is  the  waiter,"  the  girl  observed, 
to  his  relief.  "I  am  famished  after  my 
pleasant  drive.  It  was  so  bracing,  was  it  not 
Mr.  Grenfall  Lorry?" 

"Give  me  a  mountain  ride  always  as  an  ap- 


50  GRAUSTARK 

petizer,"  he  said,  obligingly,  and  so  ended  the 
jest  about  a  name. 

The  orders  for  the  dinner  were  given  and 
the  quartette  sat  back  in  their  chairs  to  await 
the  coming  of  the  soup.  Grenfall  was  still 
wondering  how  she  had  learned  his  name,  and 
was  on  the  point  of  asking  several  times  during 
the  conventional  discussion  of  the  weather,  the 
train  and  the  mountains.  He  considerately 
refrained,  however,  unwilling  to  embarrass 
her. 

"Aunt  Yvonne  tells  me  she  never  expected 
to  see  me  alive  after  the  station  agent  tele- 
graphed that  we  were  coming  overland  in  that 

awful  old  carriage.  The  agent  at  P says  it 

is  a  dangerous  road,  at  the  very  edge  of  the 
mountain.  He  also  increased  the  composure 
of  my  uncle  and  aunt  by  telling  them  that  a 
wagon  rolled  off  yesterday,  killing  a  man,  two 
women  and  two  horses.  Dear  Aunt  Yvonne, 
how  troubled  you  must  have  been. ' ' 

"I'll  confess  there  were  times  when  I 
thought  we  were  rolling  down  the  mountain, ' ' 
said  Lorry,  with  a  relieved  shake  of  the  head. 

"Sometimes  I  thought  we  were  soaring 
through  space,  whether  upward  or  downward, 
I  could  not  tell.  We  never  failed  to  come  to 
earth,  though,  did  we?"  she  laughingly  asked. 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  51 

"Emphatically!  Earth  and  a  little  grief," 
he  said,  putting  his  hand  to  his  head. 

"Does  it  pain  you?"  she  asked,  quickly. 
'  Not  in  the  least.  I  was  merely  feeling  to 
see  if  the  cut  were  still  there.  Mr — Mr.  Gug- 
genslocker,  did  the  conductor  object  to  holding 
the  train?"  he  asked,  remembering  what  the 
conductor  had  told  him  of  the  old  gentleman's 
actions. 

"At  first,  but  I  soon  convinced  him  that  it 
should  be  held,"  said  the  other,  quietly. 

"My  husband  spoke  very  harshly  to  the  poor 
man,"  added  Aunt  Yvonne.  "But,  I  am 
afraid,  Caspar,  he  did  not  understand  a  word 
you  said.  You  were  very  much  excited." 
Thesweet  old  lady's  attempts  at  English  were 
much  more  laborious  than  her  husband's. 

"If  he  did  not  understand  my  English,  he 
was  very  good  at  guessing, ' '  said  her  husband, 
grimly. 

"He  told  me  you  had  threatened  to  call  him 
out,"  ventured  the  young  man. 

"Call  him  out?  Ach,  a  railroad  conductor!" 
exclaimed  Uncle  Caspar,  in  fine  scorn. 

"Caspar,  I  heard  you  say  that  you  would  call 
him  out,"  interposed  his  wife,  with  reproving 
eyes. 

"Ach.  God!     I  have  made  a  mistake!     I  see 


5*  GRA  USTARK 

it  all!  It  was  the  other  word  I  meant — down 
not  out!  I  intended  to  call  him  down,  as  you 
Americans  say.  I  hope  he  will  not  think  I 
challenged  him. "  He  was  very  much  perturbed. 

"I  think  he  was  afraid  you  would,"  said 
Lorry. 

"He  should  have  no  fear.  I  could  not  meet 
a  railroad  conductor.  Will  you  please  tell  him 
I  could  not  so  condescend?  Besides,  dueling 
is  murder  in  your  country,  I  am  told. ' ' 

"It  usually  is,  sir.  Much  more  so  than  in 
Europe."  The  others  looked  at  him  inquir- 
ingly. "I  mean  that  in  America  when  two 
men  pull  their  revolvers  and  go  to  shooting  at 
each  other,  some  one  is  killed — frequently 
both.  In  Europe,  as  I  understand  it,  a  scratch 
with  a  sword  ends  the  combat." 

"You  have  been  misinformed,"  exclaimed 
Uncle  Caspar,  his  eyebrows  elevated. 

"Why,  Uncle  Caspar  has  fought  more  duels 
than  he  can  count,"  cried  the  girl,  proudly. 

"And  has  he  slain  his  man  every  time  ?' '  asked 
Grenfall,  smilingly,  glancing  from  one  to  the 
other.  Aunt  Yvonne  shot  a  reproving  look 
at  the  girl,  whose  face  paled  instantly,  her  eyes 
going  quickly  in  affright  to  the  face  of  her 
uncle. 

"God!"  Lorry  heard  the  old  gentleman  mut- 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  53 

ter.  He  was  looking  at  his  bill  of  fare,  but  his 
eyes  were  fixed  and  staring.  The  card  was 
crumpling  between  the  long,  bony  fingers. 
The  American  realized  that  a  forbidden  topic 
had  been  touched  upon. 

"He  has  fought  and  he  has  slain,"  he 
thought  as  quick  as  a  flash.  ' '  He  is  no  butcher, 
no  gardener,  no  cobbler.  That's  certain!" 

"Tell  us,  Uncle  Caspar,  what  you  said  to  the 
conductor,"  cried  the  young  lady,  nervously. 

"Tell  them,  Caspar,  how  alarmed  we  were," 
added  soft-voiced  Aunt  Yvonne.  Grenfall  was 
a  silent,  interested  spectator.  He  somehow 
felt  as  if  a  scene  from  some  tragedy  had  been 
reproduced  in  that  briefest  of  moments. 
Calmly  and  composedly,  a  half  smile  now  in 
his  face,  the  soldierly  Caspar  narrated  the 
story  of  the  train's  run  from  one  station  to  the 
other. 

"We  did  not  miss  you  until  we  had  almost 
reached  the  other  station.  Then  your  Aunt 
Yvonne  asked  me  where  you  had  gone.  I  told 
her  I  had  not  seen  you,  but  went  into  the  coach 
ahead  to  search.  You  were  not  there.  Then  I 
went  on  to  the  dining  car.  Ach,  you  were  not 
there.  In  alarm  I  returned  to  our  car.  Your 
aunt  and  I  looked  everywhere.  You  were  not 
anywhere.  I  shall  never  forget  your  aunt's 


54  GRA  U STARK 

face  when  she  sank  into  a  chair,  nor  shall  I 
feel  again  so  near  like  dying  as  when  she  sug- 
gested that  you  might  have  fallen  from  the 
train.  I  sent  Hedrick  ahead  to  summon  the 
conductor,  but  he  had  hardly  left  us  when  the 
engine  whistled  sharply  and  the  train  began  to 
slow  up  in  a  jerky  fashion.  We  were  very 
pale  as  we  looked  at  each  other,  for  some- 
thing told  us  that  the  stop  was  unusual.  I 
rushed  to  the  platform  meeting  Hedrick,  who 
was  as  much  alarmed  as  I.  He  said  the  train 
had  been  flagged,  and  that  there  must  be 
something  wrong.  Your  aunt  came  out  and 
told  me  that  she  had  made  a  strange  dis- 
covery." 

Grenfall  observed  that  he  was  addressing 
himself  exclusively  to  the  young  lady. 

"She  had  found  that  the  gentleman  in  the 
next  section  was  also  missing.  While  we  were 
standing  there  in  doubt  and  perplexity,  the 
train  came  to  a  standstill,  and  soon  there  was 
shouting  on  the  outside.  I  climbed  down  from 
the  car  and  saw  that  we  were  at  a  little  station. 
The  conductor  came  running  toward  me  ex- 
citedly. 

"  'Is  the  young  lady  in  the  car?'  he  asked. 

"  'No.  For  Heaven's  sake,  what  have  you 
heard?'  I  cried. 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  55 

'*  'Then  she  has  been  left  at  O ,'  he  ex- 
claimed, and  used  some  very  extraordinary 
American  words. 

"I  then  informed  him  that  he  should  run 
back  for  you,  first  learning  that  you  were  alive 
and  well.  He  said  he  would  be  damned  if  he 
would — pardon  the  word,  ladies.  He  was  very 
angry,  and  said  he  would  give  orders  to  go 
ahead,  but  I  told  him  I  would  demand  restitu- 
tion of  his  government.  He  laughed  in  my 
face,  and  then  I  became  shamelessly  angry.  I 
said  to  him : 

"  'Sir,  I  shall  call  you  down — not  out,  as  you 
have  said — and  I  shall  run  you  through  the 
mill.' 

"That  was  good  American  talk,  sir,  was  it 
not,  Mr.  Lorry?  I  wanted  him  to  understand 
me,  so  I  tried  to  use  your  very  best  language. 
Some  gentlemen  who  are  traveling  on  this 
train  and  some  very  excellent  ladies  also  joined 
in  the  demand  that  the  train  be  held.  His 

despatch  from  O said  that  you,  Mr.  Lorry, 

insisted  on  having  it  held  for  twenty  minutes. 
The  conductor  insulted  you,  sir,  by  saying  that 
you  had  more — ah,  what  is  it? — gall  than  any 
idiot  he  had  ever  seen.  When  he  said  that, 
although  I  did  not  fully  understand  that  it  was 
a  reflection  on  you,  so  ignorant  am  I  of  your 


56  GRA  USTARK 

language,  I  took  occasion  to  tell  him  that  you 
were  a  gentleman  and  a  friend  of  mine.  He 
asked  me  your  name,  but,  as  I  did  not  know  it,  I 
could  only  tell  him  that  he  would  learn  it  soon 
enough.  Then  he  said  something  which  has 
puzzled  me  ever  since.  He  told  me  to  close 
my  face.  What  did  he  mean  by  that,  Mr. 
Lorry?" 

"Well,  Mr.  Guggenslocker,  that  means,  in 
refined  American,  'stop  talking,'  "  said  Lorry, 
controlling  a  desire  to  shout. 

"Ach,  that  accounts  for  his  surprise  when  I 
talked  louder  and  faster  than  ever.  I  did  not 
know  what  he  meant.  He  said  positively  he 
would  not  wait,  but  just  then  a  second  message 
came  from  the  other  station.  I  did  not  know 
what  it  was  then,  but  a  gentleman  told  me  that 
it  instructed  him  to  hold  the  train  if  he  wanted 
to  hold  his  job.  Job  is  situation,  is  it  not? 
Well,  when  he  read  that  message  he  said  he 
would  wait  just  twenty  minutes.  I  asked  him 
to  tell  me  how  you  were  coming  to  us,  but  he 
refused  to  answer*.  Your  aunt  and  I  went  at 
once  to  the  telegraph  man  and  implored  him  to 
tell  us  the  truth,  and  he  said  you  were  coming 
in  a  carriage  over  a  very  dangerous  road. 
Imagine  our  feelings  when  he  said  some  people 
had  been  killed  yesterday  on  that  very  road. 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  57 

He  said  you  would  have  to  drive  like  the — the 
very  devil  if  you  got  here  in  twenty  minutes. ' ' 

"We  did,  Uncle  Caspar,"  interrupted  Miss 
Guggenslocker,  nai'vely.  "Our  driver  fol- 
lowed Mr.  Lorry's  instructions. " 

Mr.  Grenfall  Lorry  blushed  and  laughed 
awkwardly.  He  had  been  admiring  her  eager 
face  and  expressive  eyes  during  Uncle  Caspar's 
recital.  How  sweet  her  voice  when  it  pro- 
nounced his  name,  how  charming  the  foreign 
flavor  to  the  words. 

"He  would  not  have  understood  if  I  had 
said  other  things, ' '  he  explained,  hastily. 

"When  your  aunt  and  I  returned  to  the  train 
we  saw  the  conductor  holding  his  watch.  He 
said  to  me :  '  In  just  three  minutes  we  pull  out. 
If  they  are  not  here  by  that  time  they  can  get 
on  the  best  they  know  how.  I've  done  all  I 
can. '  I  did  not  say  a  word,  but  went  to  my 
section  and  had  Hedrick  get  out  my  pistols. 
If  the  train  left  before  you  arrived  it  would  be 
without  its  conductor.  In  the  meantime,  your 
Aunt  Yvonne  was  pleading  with  the  wretch. 
I  hastened  back  to  his  side  with  my  pistols  in 
my  pocket.  It  was  then  that  I  told  him  to. 
start  his  train  if  he  dared.  That  man  will 
never  know  how  close  he  was  to  death.  One 
minute  passed,  and  he  coolly  announced  that 


58  GRA  USTARK 

but  one  minute  was  left.  I  had  made  up  my 
mind  to  give  him  one  of  my  pistols  when  the 
time  was  up,  and  to  tell  him  to  defend  himself. 
It  was  not  to  be  a  duel,  for  there  was  nothing 
regular  about  it.  It  was  only  a  question  as  to 
whether  the  train  should  move.  Then  came 
the  sound  of  carriage  wheels  and  galloping 
horses.  Almost  before  we  knew  it  you  were 
with  us.  I  am  so  happy  that  you  were  not  a 
minute  later." 

There  was  something  so  cool  and  grim  in  the 
quiet  voice,  something  so  determined  in  those 
brilliant  eyes,  that  Grenfall  felt  like  looking 
up  the  conductor  to  congratulate  him.  The 
dinner  was  served,  and  while  it  was  being 
discussed  his  fair  companion  of  the  drive 
graphically  described  the  experience  of  twenty 
strange  minutes  in  a  shackle-down  mountain 
coach.  He  was  surprised  to  find  that  she 
omitted  no  part,  not  even  the  hand  clasp  or  the 
manner  in  which  she  clung  to  him.  His  ears 
burned  as  he  listened  to  this  frank  confession, 
for  he  expected  to  hear  words  of  disapproval 
from  the  uncle  and  aunt.  His  astonishment 
was  increased  by  their  utter  disregard  of  these 
rather  peculiar  details.  It  was  then  that  he 
realized  how  trusting  she  had  been,  how 
serenely  unconscious  of  his  tender  and  sudden 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  59 

passion.  And  had  she  told  her  relatives  that 
she  had  kissed  him,  he  firmly  believed  they 
would  have  smiled  approvingly.  Somehow  the 
real  flavor  of  romance  was  stricken  from  the 
ride  by  her  candid  admissions.  What  he  had 
considered  a  romantic  treasure  was  being 
calmly  robbed  of  its  glitter,  leaving  for  his 
memory  the  blurr  of  an  adventure  in  which  he 
had  played  the  part  of  a  gallant  gentleman  and 
she  a  grateful  lady.  He  was  beginning  to  feel 
ashamed  of  the  conceit  that  had  misled  him. 
Down  in  his  heart  he  was  saying:  "I  might 
have  known  it.  I  did  know  'It.  She  is  not  like 
other  women."  The  perfect  confidence  that 
dwelt  in  the  rapt  faces  of  the  others  forced 
into  his  wondering  mind  the  impression  that 
this  girl  could  do  no  wrong. 

"And,  Aunt  Yvonne,"  she  said,  in  con- 
clusion, "the  luck  which  you  say  is  mine  as 
birthright  asserted  itself.  I  escaped  unhurt, 
while  Mr.  Lorry  alone  possesses  the  pain  and 
unpleasantness  of  our  ride. ' ' 

"I  possess  neither,"  he  objected.  "The 
pain  that  you  refer  to  is  a  pleasure." 

"The  pain  that  a  man  endures  for  a  woman 
should  always  be  a  pleasure, ' '  said  Uncle  Cas- 
par, smilingly. 

"But  it  could  not  be  a  pleasure  to  him  unless 


60  GRA  USTARK 

the  woman  considered  it  a  pain,"  reasoned 
Miss  Guggenslocker.  "He  could  not  feel 
happy  if  she  did  not  respect  the  pain. ' ' 

"And  encourage  it,"  supplemented  Lorry, 
drily.  "If  you  do  not  remind  me  occasionally 
that  I  am  hurt,  Miss  Guggenslocker,  I  am 
liable  to  forget  it."  To  himself  he  added: 
"I'll  never  learn  how  to  say  it  in  one  breath." 

"If  I  were  not  so  soon  to  part  from  you  I 
should  be  your  physician,  and,  like  all  phy- 
sicians, prolong  your  ailment  interminably," 
she  said,  prettily. 

"To  my  deepest  satisfaction,"  he  said, 
warmly,  not  lightly.  There  was  nothing 
further  from  his  mind  than  servile  flattery,  as 
his  rejoinder  might  imply.  "Alas!"  he  went 
on,  "we  no  sooner  meet  than  we  part.  May  I 
ask  when  you  are  to  sail?" 

"On  Thursday,"  replied  Mr.  Guggenslocker. 

"On  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  der  Grosse,"  added 
his  niece,  a  faraway  look  coming  into  her  eyes. 

"We  are  to  stop  off  one  day,  to-morrow,  in 
Washington,"  said  Aunt  Yvonne,  and  the 
jump  that  Lorry's  heart  gave  was  so  mighty 
that  he  was  afraid  they  could  see  it  in  his  face. 

"My  uncle  has  some  business  to  transact  in 
your  city,  Mr.  Lorry.  We  are  to  spend  to- 
morrow there  and  Wednesday  in  New  York, 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  61 

Then  we  sail.  Ach,  how  I  long  for  Thurs- 
day!" His  heart  sank  like  lead  to  the  depths 
from  which  it  had  sprung.  It  required  no 
effort  on  his  part  to  see  that  he  was  alone  in 
his  infatuation.  Thursday  was  more  to  her 
than  his  existence ;  she  could  forget  him  and 
think  of  Thursday,  and  when  she  thought  of 
Thursday,  the  future,  he  was  but  a  thing  of 
the  past,  not  even  of  the  present. 

"Have  you  always  lived  in  Washington, 
Mr.  Lorry?"  asked  Mrs.  Guggenslocker. 

"All  my  life,"  he  replied  wishing  at  that 
moment  that  he  was  homeless  and  free  to 
choose  for  himself. 

"You  Americans  live  in  one  city  and  then  in 
another,"  she  said.  "Now,  in  our  country 
generation  after  generation  lives  and  dies  in 
one  town.  We  are  not  migratory." 

"Mr.  Lorry  has  offended  us  by  not  knowing 
where  Graustark  is  located  on  the  map,"  cried 
the  young  lady,  and  he  could  see  the  flash  of 
resentment  in  her  eyes 

1 '  Why,  my  dear  sir,  Graustark  is  in ' '  began 

Uncle  Caspar,  but  she  checked  him  instantly. 

"Uncle  Caspar,  you  are  not  to  tell  him.  I 
have  recommended  that  he  study  geography 
and  discover  us  for  himself.  He  should  be 
ashamed  of  his  ignorance. ' ' 


62  GRA  USTARK 

He  was  not  ashamed,  but  he  mentally  vowed 
that  before  he  was  a  day  older  he  would  find 
Graustark  on  the  map  and  would  stock  his 
negligent  brain  with  all  that  history  and  the 
encyclopedia  had  to  say  of  the  unknown  land. 
Her  uncle  laughed,  and,  to  Lorry's  disappoint- 
ment, obeyed  the  young  lady's  command. 

"Shall  I  study  the  map  of  Europe,  Asia  or 
Africa?"  asked  he,  and  they  laughed. 

"Study  the  map  of  the  world,"  said  Miss 
Guggenslocker,  proudly. 

"Edelweiss  is  the  capital?" 

"Yes,  our  home  city, — the  queen  of  the 
crags,"  cried  she.  "You  should  see  Edelweiss, 
Mr.  Lorry.  It  is  of  the  mountain,  the  plain 
and  the  sky.  There  are  homes  in  the  valley, 
homes  on  the  mountain  side  and  homes  in  the 
clouds." 

"And  yours?  From  what  you  say  it  must 
be  above  the  clouds — in  heaven. ' ' 

"We  are  farthest  from  the  clouds,  for  we 
live  in  the  gre.en  valley,  shaded  by  the  white 
topped  mountains.  We  may,  in  Edelweiss, 
have  what  climate  we  will.  Doctors  do  not 
send  us  on  long  journeys  for  our  health.  They 
tell  us  to  move  up  or  down  the  mountain.  We 
have  balmy  spring,  glorious  summer,  refresh- 
ing autumn  and  chilly  winter,  just  as  we  like." 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  63 

"Ideal!  I  think  you  must  be  pretty  well 
toward  the  south.  You  could  not  have  July 
and  January  if  you  were  far  north. " 

"True;  yet  we  have  January  in  July.  Study 
your  map.  We  are  discernible  to  the  naked 
eye, ' '  she  said,  half  ironically. 

"I  care  not  if  there  are  but  three  inhabitants 
of  Graustark,  ail  told,  it  is  certainly  worthy  of 
a  position  on  any  map,"  said  Lorry,  gallantly; 
and  his  listeners  applauded  with  patriotic 
appreciation.  "By  the  way,  Mr.  Gug — Gug- 
genslocker,  you  say  the  conductor  asked  you 
for  my  name  and  you  did  not  know  it.  May  I 
ask  how  you  learned  it  later  on?"  His  curi- 
osity got  the  better  of  him,  and  his  courage 
was  increased  by  the  champagne  the  old  gentle- 
man had  ordered. 

"I  did  not  know  your  name  until  my  niece 
told  it  to  me  after  your  arrival  in  the  carriage, " 
said  Uncle  Caspar. 

"I  don't  remember  giving  it  to  Miss  Gug- 
genslocker  at  any  time, ' '  said  Lorry. 

"You  were  not  my  informant,"  she  said, 
demurely. 

"Surely  you  did  not  guess  it." 

"Oh,  no,  indeed.     I  am  no  mind  reader." 

"My  own  name  was  the  last  thing  you 
couid  have  read  in  my  mind,  in  that  event, 


64  GRA  USTARK 

for    I    have    not    thought    of    it    in     three 
days." 

She  was  sitting  with  her  elbows  on  the  table, 
her  chin  in  her  hands,  a  dreamy  look  in  her 
blue  eyes. 

"You  say  you  obtained  that  coin  from  the 
porter  on  the  Denver  train?" 

"Within  two  hours  after  I  got  aboard." 

"Well,  that  coin  purchased  your  name  for 
me,"  she  said,  calmly,  candidly.  He  gasped. 

"You — you  don't  mean  that  you "   he 

stammered. 

"You  see,  Mr.  Lorry,  I  wanted  to  know  the 
name  of  a  man  who  came  nearest  my  ideal 
of  what  an  American  should  be.  As  soon 
as  I  saw  you  I  knew  that  you  were  the  Ameri- 
can as  I  had  grown  to  know  him  through  the 
books, — big,  strong,  bold  and  comely.  That 
is  why  I  bought  your  name  of  the  porter.  I 
shall  always  say  that  I  know  the  name  of  an 
ideal  American, — Grenfall  Lorry." 

The  ideal  American  was  not  unmoved.  He 
was  in  a  fever  of  fear  and  happiness, — fear 
because  he  thought  she  was  jesting,  happiness 
because  he  hoped  she  was  not.  He  laughed 
awkwardly,  absolutely  unable  to  express  him- 
self in  words.  Her  frank  statement  staggered 
him  almost  beyond  the  power  of  recovery. 


MISS  GUGGENSLOCKER  65 

There  was  joy  in  the  knowledge  that  she  had 
been  attracted  to  him  at  first  sight,  but  there 
was  bitterness  in  the  thought  that  he  had  come 
to  her  notice  as  a  sort  of  specimen,  the  name 
of  which  she  had  sought  as  a  botanist  would 
look  for  the  name  of  an  unknown  flower. 

"I — I  am  honored,"  heat  last  managed  to 
say,  his  eyes  gleaming  with  embarrassment. 
"I  trust  you  have  not  found  your  first  judg- 
ment a  faulty  one. "  He  felt  very  foolish  after 
this  flat  remark. 

"I  have  remembered  your  name,"  she  said, 
graciously.  His  heart  swelled. 

"There  are  a  great  many  better  Americans 
than  I,"  he  said.  "You  forget  our  president 
and  our  statesmen." 

"I  thought  they  were  mere  politicians." 

Grenfall  Lorry,  idealized,  retired  to  his  berth 
that  night,  his  head  whirling  with  the  emotions 
inspired  by  this  strange,  beautiful  woman. 
How  lovely,  how  charming,  how  naive,  how 
queenly,  how  indifferent,  how  warm,  how 
cold — how  everything  that  puzzled  him  was 
she.  His  last  waking  thought  was: 

"Guggenslocker!  An  angel  with  a  name 
like  thatl" 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  INVITA  TION  EXTENDED 

They  were  called  by  the  porter  early  the 
next  morning.  The  train  was  pulling  into 
Washington,  five  hours  late.  Grenfall  won- 
dered, as  he  dressed,  whether  fortune  would 
permit  him  to  see  much  of  her  during  her  brief 
day  in  the  capital.  He  dreamed  of  a  drive 
over  the  avenues,  a  trip  to  the  monument,  a 
visit  to  the  halls  of  congress,  an  inspection  of 
public  buildings,  a  dinner  at  his  mother's 
home,  luncheon  at  the  Ebbitt,  and  other  atten- 
tions which  might  give  to  him  every  moment 
of  her  day  in  Washington.  But  even  as  he 
dreamed,  he  was  certain  that  his  hopes  could 
not  be  gratified. 

After  the  train  had  come  to  a  standstill  he 
could  hear  the  rustle  of  her  garments  in  the 
next  compartment.  Then  he  heard  her  sweep 
into  the  passage,  greet  her  uncle  and  aunt, 
utter  a  few  commands  to  the  maid,  and,  while 
he  was  adjusting  his  collar  and  necktie,  pass 
from  the  car.  No  man  ever  made  quicker  timt 

66 


6? 

in  dressing  than  did  Lorry.  She  could  hardly 
have  believed  him  ideal  had  she  seen  his  scowl- 
ing face  or  heard  the  words  that  hissed  through 
his  impatient  teeth. 

"She'll  get  away,  and  that'll  be  the  end  of 
it,"  he  growled,  seizing  his  traps  and  rush- 
ing from  the  train  two  minutes  after  her 
departure.  The  porter  attempted  to  relieve 
him  of  his  bags  on  the  platform,  but  he 
brushed  him  aside  and  was  off  toward  the 
station. 

"Nice  time  for  you  to  call  a  man,  you  idiot," 
was  his  parting  shot  for  the  porter,  forgetting 
of  course,  that  the  foreigners  had  been  called 
at  the  same  time.  With  eyes  intent  on  the 
crowd  ahead,  he  plunged  along,  seeing  nobody 
in  his  disappointed  flight.  "I'll  never  forgive 
myself  if  I  miss  her,"  he  was  wailing  to  him- 
self. She  was  not  to  be  seen  in  the  waiting- 
rooms,  so  he  rushed  to  the  sidewalk. 

"Baggage  transferred?" 

"Cab,  sir?" 

"Go  to  the  devil — yes,  here!  Take  these 
traps  and  these  checks  and  rush  my  stuff  to 

No.  ,  W Avenue.  Trunks  just  in  on 

B,  &  O.,"  he  cried,  tossing  his  burdens  to  a 
transfer  man  and  giving  him  the  checks  so 
quickly  that  the  fellow's  sleepy  eyes  opened 


68  GRA  USTARK 

wider  than  they  had  been  for  a  month.  Re- 
lieved of  his  impedimenta,  he  returned  to  the 
station. 

"Good  morning,  Mr.  Lorry.  Are  you  in  too 
much  of  a  hurry  to  see  your  friends?"  cried  a 
clear,  musical  voice,  and  he  stopped  as  if  shot. 
The  anxious  frown  flew  from  his  brow  and  was 
succeeded  instantaneously  by  a  glad  smile. 
He  wheeled  and  beheld  her,  with  Aunt 
Yvonne,  standing  near  the  main  entrance  to 
the  station.  "Why,  good  morning,"  he  ex- 
claimed, extending  his  hand  gladly.  To  his 
amazement  she  drew  herself  up  haughtily  and 
ignored  the  proffered  hand.  Only  for  a  brief 
second  did  this  strange  and  uncalled-for  hau- 
teur obtain.  A  bright  smile  swept  over  her 
face,  and  her  repentant  fingers  sought  his 
timidly,  even  awkwardly.  Something  told  him 
that  she  was  not  accustomed  to  handshaking; 
that  same  something  impelled  him  to  bend  low 
and  touch  the  gloved  fingers  with  his  lips.  He 
straightened,  with  face  flushed,  half  fearful  lest 
his  act  had  been  observed  by  curious  loungers, 
and  he  had  taken  a  liberty  in  a  public 
place  which  could  not  be  condoned.  But  she 
smiled  serenely,  approvingly.  There  was  not 
the  faintest  sign  of  embarrassment  or  confusion 
in  the  lovely  face.  Any  other  girl  in  the 


THE  IN  VITA  TION  EXTENDED         69 

world,  he  thought,  would  have  jerked  her  hand 
away  and  giggled  furiously.  Aunt  Yvonne 
inclined  her  head  slightly,  but  did  not  proffer 
her  hand.  He  wisely  refrained  from  extend- 
ing his  own.  "I  thought  you  had  left  the  sta- 
tion," he  said. 

"We  are  waiting  for  Uncle  Caspar,  who  is 
giving  Hedrick  instructions.  Hedrick,  you 
know,  is  to  go  on  to  New  York  with  our  boxes. 
He  will  have  them  aboard  ship  when  we  arrive 
there.  All  that  we  have  with  us  is  hand  lug- 
gage. We  leave  Washington  to-night" 

"I  had  hoped  you  might  stay  over  for  a  few 
days." 

It  is  urgent  business  that  compels  us  to  leave 
so  hastily, "Mr.  Lorry.  Of  all  the  cities  in  the 
world,  I  have  most  desired  to  see  the  capital 
of  your  country.  Perhaps  I  may  return  some 
day.  But  do  not  let  us  detain  you,  if  you  are 
in  a  hurry. " 

He  started,  looked  guilty,  stammered  some- 
thing about  baggage,  said  he  would  return  in  a 
moment,  and  rushed  aimlessly  away,  his  ears 
fiery. 

"I'm  all  kinds  of  a  fool,"  he  muttered,  as  he 
raced  around  the  baggage-room  and  then  back 
to  where  he  had  left  the  two  ladies.  Mr.  Gug- 
genslocker  had  joined  them  and  they  were  pre- 


70  GRA  USTARK 

paring  to  depart.  Miss  Guggenslocker's  face 
expressed  pleasure  at  seeing  him. 

"We  thought  you  would  never  return,  so 
long  were  you  gone,"  she  cried,  gaily.  He 
had  been  gone  just  two  minutes  by  the  watch ! 
The  old  gentleman  greeted  him  warmly,  and 
Lorry  asked  them  to  what  hotel  they  were 
going.  On  being  informed  that  they  expected 
to  spend  the  day  at  the  Ebbitt,  he  volunteered 
to  accompany  them,  saying  that  he  intended  to 
breakfast  there.  Quicker  than  a  flash  a  glance, 
unfathomable  as  it  was  brief,  passed  between 
the  three,  not  quickly  enough,  however,  to 
escape  his  keen,  watchful  eyes,  on  the  alert 
since  the  beginning  of  his  acquaintance  with 
them,  in  conjunction  with  his  earsf  to  catch 
something  that  might  satisfy,  in  a  measure, 
his  burning  curiosity.  What  was  the  meaning 
of  that  glance?  It  half  angered  him,  for  in  it 
he  thought  he  could  distinguish  annoyance, 
apprehension,  dismay  or  something  equally 
disquieting.  Before  he  could  stiffen  his  long 
frame  and  give  vent  to  the  dignified  recon- 
sideration that  flew  to  his  mind,  the  young 
lady  dispelled  all  pain  and  displeasure,  sending 
him  into  raptures,  by  saying: 

"How  good  of  you!  We  shall  be  so  de- 
lighted to  have  you  breakfast  with  us,  Mr. 


THE  IN  VITA  TION  EXTENDED         7 1 

Lorry,  if  it  is  convenient  for  you.  You 
can  talk  to  us  of  your  wonderful  city. 
Now,  say  that  you  will  be  good  to  us;  stay 
your  hunger  and  neglect  your  personal  affairs 
long  enough  to  give  us  these  early  morning 
hours.  I  am  sure  we  cannot  trouble  you  much 
longer. ' ' 

He  expostulated  gallantly  and  delightedly, 
and  then  hurried  forth  to  call  a  cab.  At  eight 
o'clock  he  breakfasted  with  them,  his  infatua- 
tion growing  deeper  and  stronger  as  he  sat  for 
the  hour  beneath  the  spell  of  those  eyes,  the 
glorious  face,  the  sweet,  imperial  air  that  was 
a  part  of  her,  strange  and  unaffected.  As  they 
were  leaving  the  dining-room  he  asked  her  if 
she  would  not  drive  with  him. 

His  ardent  gallantry  met  with  a  surprising 
rebuke.  The  conversation  up  to  that  moment 
had  been  bright  and  cheery,  her  face  had  been 
the  constant  reflector  of  his  own  good  spirits, 
and  he  had  every  reason  in  the  world  to  feel 
that  his  suggestion  would  be  received  with 
pleasure.  It  was  a  shock  to  him,  therefore,  to 
see  the  friendly  smile  fade  from  her  eyes  and  a 
disdainful  gleam  succeed  it.  Her  voice,  a 
moment  ago  sweet  and  affable,  changed  its 
tone  instantly  to  one  so  proud  and  arrogant 
that  he  could  scarcely  believe  his  ears. 


7  a  GRAUSTARK 

"I  shall  be  engaged  during  the  entire  day, 
Mr.  Lorry,"  she  said,  slowly,  looking  him 
fairly  in  the  eyes  with  cruel  positiveness. 
Those  eyes  of  his  were  wide  with  surprise  and 
the  glowing  gleam  of  injured  pride.  His  lips 
closed  tightly;  little  red  spots  flew  to  his 
cheeks  and  then  disappeared,  leaving  his  face 
white  and  cold ;  his  heart  throbbed  painfully 
with  the  mingled  emotions  of  shame  and 
anger.  For  a  moment  he  dared  not  speak. 

"I  have  reason  to  feel  thankful  that  you  are 
to  be  engaged, ' '  he  said  at  last,  calmly,  without 
taking  his  eyes  from  hers.  "I  am  forced  to 
believe,  much  to  my  regret,  that  I  have 
offended  when  I  intended  to  please.  You  will 
pardon  my  temerity. ' ' 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  resentment  in 
his  voice  or  the  glitter  in  his  eyes.  Impulsively 
her  little  hand  was  stretched  forth,  falling  upon 
his  arm,  while  into  her  eyes  came  again  the 
soft  glow  and  to  her  lips  the  most  pathetic, 
appealing  smile,  the  forerunner  of  a  pretty 
plea  for  forgiveness.  The  change  startled  and 
puzzled  him  more  than  ever.  In  one  moment 
she  was  unreasonably  rude  and  imperious,  in 
the  next  gracious  and  imploring. 

"Forgive  me,"  she  cried,  the  blue  eyes  bat- 
tling bravely  against  the  steel  in  the  grey  ones 


THE  IN  VITA  TION  EXTENDED         73 

above.  "I  was  so  uncivil !  Perhaps  I  cannot 
make  you  understand  why  I  spoke  as  I  did, 
but,  let  me  say,  I  richly  deserved  the  rebuke. 
Pray  forgive  me  and  forget  that  I  have  been 
disagreeable.  Do  not  ask  me  to  tell  you  why  I 
was  so  rude  to  you  just  now,  but  overlook  my 
unkind  treatment  of  your  invitation.  Please, 
Mr.  Lorry,  I  beg  of  you — I  beg  for  the  first 
time  in  my  life.  You  have  been  so  good  to 
me;  be  good  to  me  still." 

His  wrath  melted  away  like  snow  before  the 
sunshine.  How  could  he  resist  such  an  ap- 
peal? "I  beg  for  the  first  time  in  my  life," 
whirled  in  his  brain.  What  did  she  mean  by 
that? 

"I  absolve  the  penitent,"  he  said,  gravely. 

"I  thank  you.  You  are  still  my  ideal  Amer- 
ican—courteous, bold  and  gentle.  I  do  not 
wonder  that  Americans  can  be  masterful  men. 
And  now  I  thank  you  for  your  invitation,  and 
ask  you  to  let  me  withdraw  my  implied  refusal. 
If  you  will  take  me  for  the  drive,  I  shall  be 
delighted  and  more  than  grateful." 

"You  make  me  happy  again,"  he  said,  softly, 
as  they  drew  near  the  elder  members  of  the 
party,  who  had  paused  to  wait  for  them. 
"I  shall  ask  your  uncle  and  aunt  to  accompany 
us." 


74  GRA  USTARK 

"Uncle  Caspar  will  be  busy  all  day,  but  I  am 
sure  my  aunt  will  be  charmed.  Aunt  Yvonne, 
Mr.  Lorry  has  asked  us  to  drive  with  him  over 
the  city,  and  I  have  accepted  for  you.  When 
are  we  to  start,  Mr.  Lorry?" 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Guggenslocker  stared  in  a  be- 
wildered sort  of  manner  at  their  niece.  Then 
Aunt  Yvonne  turned  questioning  eyes  toward 
her  husband,  who  promptly  bowed  low  before 
the  tall  American  and  said: 

"Your  kind  offices  shall  never  be  forgotten, 
sir.  When  are  the  ladies  to  be  ready?" 

Lorry  was  weighing  in  his  mind  the  advis- 
ability of  asking  them  to  dine  in  the  evening 
with  his  mother,  but  two  objections  pre- 
sented themselves  readily.  First,  he  was 
afraid  of  this  perverse  maid;  second,  he  had 
not  seen  his  mother.  In  fact,  he  did  not  know 
that  she  was  in  town. 

"At  two  o'clock,  I  fancy.  That  will  give 
us  the  afternoon.  You  leave  at  nine  to-night, 
do  you  not?" 

"Yes.  And  will  you  dine  with  us  this  even- 
ing?" Her  invitation  was  so  unexpected,  in 
view  of  all  that  had  happened,  that  he  looked 
askance.  "  Ach,  you  must  not  treat  my  invita- 
tion as  I  did  yours!"  she  cried,  merrily, 
although  he  could  detect  the  blush  that  returns 


THE  INVITA  TION  EXTENDED         75 

with  the  recollection  of  a  reprimand.  "You 
should  profit  by  what  I  have  been  taught." 
The  girl  abruptly  threw  her  arm  about  her 
aunt  and  cried,  as  she  drew  away  in  the  direc- 
tion of  her  room:  "At  two,  then,  and  at  dinner 
this  evening.  I  bid  you  good  morning,  Mr. 
Lorry." 

The  young  man,  delighted  with  the  turn  of 
affairs,  but  dismayed  by  what  seemed  a  sum- 
mary dismissal,  bowed  low.  He  waited  until 
the  strange  trio  entered  the  elevator  and  then 
sauntered  downstairs,  his  hands  in  his  pockets, 
his  heart  as  light  as  air.  Unconsciously  he 
jingled  the  coins.  A  broad  smile  came  over 
his  face  as  he  drew  forth  a  certain  piece. 
Holding  it  between  his  thumb  and  forefinger 
he  said: 

"You  are  what  it  cost  her  to  learn  my  name, 
are  you?  Well,  my  good  fellow,  you  may  be 
very  small,  but  you  bought  something  that 
looks  better  than  Guggenslocker  on  a  hotel 
register.  Your  mistress  is  an  odd  bit  of 
humanity,  a  most  whimsical  bit,  I  must  say. 
First,  she's  no  and  then  she's  yes.  You're 
lucky,  my  coin,  to  have  fallen  into  the  custody 
of  one  who  will  not  give  you  over  to  the  mercy 
of  strangers  for  the  sake  of  a  whim.  You  are 
now  retired  on  a  pension,  well  deserved  after 


76  GRA  USTARK 

valiant  service  in  the  cause  of  a  most  capricious 
queen." 

In  an  hour  he  was  at  home  and  relating  to 
his  mother  the  story  of  his  wanderings,  neglect- 
ing, for  reasons  best  known  to  himself,  the 
events  which  occurred  after  Denver  had  been 
left  behind,  except  for  a  casual  allusion  to  "a 
party  of  foreigners."  At  one  o'clock,  fault- 
lessly attired,  he  descended  to  the  brougham, 
telling  Mrs.  Lorry  that  he  had  invited  some 
strangers  to  see  the  city.  On  the  way  down- 
town he  remembered  that  he  was  in  business — 
the  law  business — and  that  it  would  be  well  to 
drop  in  and  let  his  uncle  know  he  was  in  the 
city.  On  second  thought,  however,  he  con- 
cluded it  was  too  near  two  o'clock  to  waste  any 
time  on  business,  so  the  office  did  not  know 
that  he  was  in  town  until  the  next  day,  and 
then  to  no  great  extent. 

For  several  hours  he  reveled  in  her  society, 
sitting  beside  her  in  that  roomy  brougham, 
Aunt  Yvonne  opposite,  explaining  to  her  the 
many  places  of  interest  as  they  passed.  They 
entered  the  Capitol;  they  saw  the  White  House, 
and,  as  they  were  driving  back  to  the  hotel, 
passed  the  President  of  the  United  States. 

Miss  Guggenslocker,  when  informed  that  the 
President's  carriage  was  approaching,  relaxed 


THE  IN  VITA  TION  EXTENDED          ^  ^ 

gracefully  from  the  stately  reserve  that  had 
been  puzzling  him,  and  revealed  an  eager 
curiosity.  Her  eyes  fastened  themselves  upon 
the  President,  Lorry  finding  entertainment  in 
the  changes  that  came  over  her  unconscious 
face.  Instead  of  noting  the  veneration  he  had 
expected,  he  was  astonished  and  somewhat 
provoked  to  see  a  slight  curl  of  disgust  at  the 
corners  of  her  mouth,  a  pronounced  disappoint- 
ment in  her  eyes.  Her  face  expressed  ridi- 
cule, pure  and  simple,  and,  he  was  shocked  to 
observe,  the  exposure  was  unconscious,  there- 
fore sincere. 

"You  do  not  like  our  ruler?"  he  said,  as  the 
carriage  whirled  by.  He  was  returning  his 
hat  to  his  head  as  he  spoke. 

"I  cannot  say.  I  do  not  know  him,"  she 
replied,  a  tinge  of  sarcasm  in  her  voice.  "You 
Americans  have  one  consolation;  when  you 
tire  of  a  ruler  you  can  put  another  in  his 
place.  Is  it  not  wise  to  do  so  quite  often?" 

"I  don't  think  wise  is  the  word.  Ex- 
pedient is  better.  I  am  to  infer  that  you  have 
no  politics." 

"One  house  has  ruled  our  land  for  centuries. 
Since  I  came  to  your  land  I  have  not  once  seen 
a  man  wave  his  hat  with  mad  adulation  and  cry 
from  his  heart:  'Long  live  the  President!1 


78  GRA  USTARK 

For  centuries,  in  my  country,  every  child  has 
been  born  with  the  words:  'Long  live  the 
Prince!'  in  his  heart,  and  he  learns  to  say  them 
next  after  the  dear  parental  words  are  mas- 
tered. 'Long  live  the  Prince!'  'Long  live  the 
Princess!'  are  tributes  of  love  and  honor  that 
greet  our  rulers  from  birth  to  death.  We  are 
not  fickle,  and  we  have  no  politics." 

"Do  your  rulers  hear  tin  horns,  brass  bands, 
campaign  yells,  firecrackers  and  stump  speeches 
every  four  years?  Do  they  know  what  it 
means  to  be  the  voluntary  choice  of  a  whole 
nation?  Do  they  know  what  it  is  to  rule  be- 
cause they  have  won  the  right  and  not  because 
they  were  born  to  it?  Has  there  ever  been  a 
homage-surfeited  ruler  in  your  land  who  has 
known  the  joy  that  comes  with  the  knowledge 
that  he  has  earned  the  right  to  be  cheered  from 
one  end  of  the  country  to  the  other?  Is  there 
not  a  difference  between  your  hereditary  'Long 
live  the  Prince'  and  our  wild,  enthusiastic, 
spontaneous  'Hurrah  for  Cleveland!'  Miss 
Guggenslocker?  All  men  are  equal  at  the 
beginning  in  our  land.  The  man  who  wins 
the  highest  gift  that  can  be  bestowed  by 
seventy  millions  of  people  is  the  man  who  had 
brains  and  not  title  as  a  birthright."  He 
was  a  bit  exasperated. 


THE  IN  VITA  TION  EXTENDED          7  9 

"There!  I  have  displeased  you  again.  You 
must  pardon  my  antiquated  ideas.  We,  as 
true  and  loyal  subjects  of  a  good  sovereign, 
cannot  forget  that  our  rulers  are  born,  not 
made.  Perhaps  we  are  afflicted  at  times  with 
brainless  monarchs  and  are  to  be  pitied.  You 
are  generous  in  your  selection  of  potentates, 
be  generous,  then,  with  me,  a  benighted  royal- 
ist, who  craves  leniency  of  one  who  may  some 
day  be  President  of  the  United  States." 

"Granted,  without  discussion.  As  possible, 
though  not  probable,  President  of  the  United 
States,  I  am  magnanimous  to  an  unfortunate 
who  can  never  hope  to  be  princess,  no  matter 
how  well  she  might  grace  the  gilded  throne." 

She  greeted  this  glowing  remark  with  a  smile 
so  intoxicating  that  he  felt  himself  the  most 
favored  of  men.  He  saw  that  smile  in  his 
mind's  eye  for  months  afterward,  that  madden- 
ing sparkle  of  joy,  which  flashed  from  her  eyes 
to  the  very  bottom  of  his  heart,  there  to  snug- 
gle forever  with  Memory's  most  priceless 
treasures. 

Their  dinner  was  but  one  more  phase  of  this 
fascinating  dream.  More  than  once  he  feared 
that  he  was  about  to  awake  to  find  bleak  un- 
happiness  where  exquisite  joy  had  reigned  so 
gloriously.  As  it  drew  to  an  end  a  sense 


8o  GRA  USTARK 

of  depression  came  over  him.  An  hour  at 
most  was  all  that  he  could  have  with  her. 
Nine  o'clock  was  drawing  nigh  with  its 
regrets,  its  longings,  its  desolation.  He  de- 
termined to  retain  the  pleasures  of  the  present 
until,  amid  the  clanging  of  bells  and  the  roll  of 
car  wheels,  the  dismal  future  began.  His  in- 
tention to  accompany  them  to  the  station  was 
expressed  as  they  were  leaving  the  table.  She 
had  begun  to  say  good-by  to  him  when  he 
interrupted,  self  -  consciousness  forcing  the 
words  hurriedly  and  disjointedly  from  his  lips: 

"You  will  let  me  go  to  the  station  with  you. 
I  shall — er — deem  it  a  pleasure. ' ' 

She  raised  her  eyebrows  slightly,  but 
thanked  him  and  said  she  would  consider  it  an 
honor.  His  face  grew  hot  and  his  heart  cold 
with  the  fancy  that  there  was  in  her  eyes  a 
gleam  which  said:  "I  pity  you,  poor  fellow." 

Notwithstanding  his  strange  misgiving  and 
the  fact  that  his  pride  had  sustained  quite  a 
perceptible  shock,  he  drove  with-  them  to  the 
station.  They  went  to  the  sleeping  car  a  few 
minutes  before  the  time  set  for  the  train's  de- 
parture, and  stood  at  the  bottom  of  the  steps, 
tittering  the  good-bys,  the  God-speeds  and  the 
sincere  hope  that  they  might  meet  again. 
Then  came  the  sharp  activity  of  the  trainmen, 


77/2"  IN  VITA  TION  EXTENDED         8 1 

the  hurry  of  belated  passengers.  He  glanced 
soberly  at  his  watch. 

"It  is  nine  o'clock.  Perhaps  you  would 
better  get  aboard, ' '  he  said,  and .  proceeded  to 
assist  Aunt  Yvonne  up  the  steps.  She  turned 
and  pressed  his  hand  gently  before  passing  into 
the  car. 

"Adieu,  good  friend.  You  have  made  it  so 
very  pleasant  for  us, ' '  she  said,  earnestly. 

The  tall,  soldierly  old  gentleman  was  waiting 
to  assist  his  niece  into  the  coach. 

"Go  first,  Uncle  Caspar,"  the  girl  made 
Lorry  happy  by  saying.  "I  can  easily  come  up 
unaided. ' ' 

"Or  I  can  assist  her,"  Lorry  hastened  to 
add,  giving  her  a  grateful  look  which  she  could 
not  misunderstand.  The  uncle  sho<5k  hands 
warmly  with  the  young  man  and  passed  up  the 
steps.  She  was  following  when  Lorry  cried: 

"Will  you  not  allow  me?" 

She  laughingly  turned  to  him  from  the  steps 
and  stretched  forth  her  hand. 

"And  now  it  is  good-by  forever.  I  am  so 
sorry  that  I  have  not  seen  more  of  you,"  she 
said.  He  took  her  hand  and  held  it  tightly  for 
a  moment. 

"I  shall  never  forget  the  past  few  days,"  he 
said,  a  thrill  in  his  voice.  "You  have  put 


8a  GRA  USTARK 

something  into  my  life  that  can  never  be  taken 
away.  You  will  forget  me  before  you  are  out 
of  Washington,  but  I — I  shall  always  see  you 
as  you  are  now." 

She  drew  her  hand  away  gently,  but  did  not 
take  her  eyes  from  his  upturned  face. 

"You  are  mistaken,  Why  should  I  forget 
you — ever?  Are  you  not  the  ideal  American 
whose  name  I  bought?  I  shall  always  remem- 
ber you  as  I  saw  you — at  Denver. ' ' 

"Not  as  I  have  been  since?"  he  cried. 

"Have  you  changed  since  first  I  saw  you?" 
she  asked,  quaintly. 

"I  have,  indeed,  for  you  saw  me  before  I  saw 
you.  I  am  glad  I  have  not  changed  for  the 
worse  in  your  eyes. ' ' 

"As  I  "first  knew  you  with  my  eyes  I  will  say 
that  they  are  trustworthy,"  she  said  tantaliz- 
ingly. 

"I  do  not  mean  that  I  have  changed  exter- 
nally." 

"In  any  other  case  my  eyes  would  not 
serve,"  she  cried,  with  mock  disappointment. 
"Still,"  she  added,  sweepingly,  "you  are  my 
ideal  American.  Good-by!  The  man  has 
called  'all  aboard!'  " 

"Good-by!"  he  cried,  swinging  up  on  the 
narrow  step  beside  her.  Again  he  clasped  her 


THE  IN  VITA  TION  EXTENDED         83 

hand  as  she  drew  back  in  surprise.  "You  are 
going  out  of  my  land,  but  not  out  of  my  mind. 
If  you  wish  your  eyes  to  see  the  change  in  me, 
you  have  only  to  look  at  them  in  a  mirror. 
They  are  the  change — they  themselves !  Good- 
by !  I  hope  that  I  may  see  you  again. ' ' 

She  hesitated  an  instant,  her  eyes  wavering 
beneath  his.  The  train  was  moving  slowly 
now. 

"I  pray  that  we  may  meet, ' '  she  said,  softly,  at 
last, — so  softly  that  he  barely  heard  the  words. 
Had  she  uttered  no  sound  he  could  have  been 
sure  of  her  response,  for  it  was  in  her  telltale 
eyes.  His  blood  leaped  madly.  "You  will  be 
hurt  if  you  wait  till  the  train  is  running  at  full 
speed,"  she  cried,  suddenly  returning  to  the 
abandoned  merry  mood.  She  pushed  him 
gently  in  her  excitement.  "Don't  you  see  how 
rapidly  we  are  moving?  Please  go!"  There 
was  a  terror  in  her  eyes  that  pleased  him. 

"Good-by,  then,"  he  cried. 

"Adieu,  my  American,"  she  cried  quickly. 

As  he  swung  out,  ready  to  drop  to  the 
ground,  she  said,  her  eyes  sparkling  with 
something  that  suggested  mischief,  her  face 
more  bewitching  than  ever  under  the  flicker  of 
the  great  arc  lights : 

"You  must  come  to  Edelweiss  to  see  me.     I 


84  GRA  USTARK 

shall  expect  you!"  He  thought  there  was  a 
challenge  in  the  tones.  Or  was  it  mockery? 

"I  will,  by  heaven,  I  will!"  he  exclaimed. 

A  startled  expression  flashed  across  her  face, 
and  her  lips  parted  as  if  in  protestation.  As 
she  leaned  forward,  holding  stoutly  to  the 
hand-rail,  there  was  no  smile  on  her  counte- 
nance. 

A  white  hand  fluttered  before  his  eyes,  and 
she  was  gone.  He  stood,  hat  in  hand,  watch- 
ing the  two  red  lights  at  the  end  of  the  train 
until  they  were  lost  in  the  night. 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE 

If  Lorry  slept  that  night  he  was  not  aware 
of  it.  The  next  morning,  after  he  had  break- 
fasted with  his  mother,  he  tried  in  vain  to  re- 
call a  minute  of  the  time  between  midnight  and 
eight  a.m.  in  which  he  did  not  think  of  the 
young  woman  who  had  flown  away  with  his 
tranquillity.  All  night  long  he  tossed  and 
thought.  He  counted  ten  thousand  black 
sheep  jumping  over  a  pasture  fence,  but,  after 
the  task  was  done  and  the  sheep  had  scattered, 
he  was  as  far  from  sleep  as  ever.  Her  face 
was  everywhere.  Her  voice  filled  his  ear  with 
music  never-ceasing,  but  it  was  not  the  lulling 
music  that  invites  drowsiness.  He  heard  the 
clock  strike  the  hours  from  one  to  eight,  when 
he  arose,  thoroughly  disgusted  with  himself. 
Everything  seemed  to  taste  bitter  or  to  look 
blue.  That  breakfast  was  a  great  strain  on  his 
natural  politeness.  He  worshipped  his  mother, 
but  in  several  instances  that  morning  he  caught 
himself  just  in  time  to  prevent  the  utterance  of 
some  sharp  rejoinder  to  her  pleasant,  motherly 
85 


86  GRA  USTARK 

queries.  Twice  she  was  compelled  to  repeat' 
questions,  his  mind  being  so  far  away  that  he 
heard  nothing  save  words  that  another  woman 
had  uttered,  say  twenty-four  hours  before. 
His  eyes  were  red,  and  there  was  a  heavy 
droop  to  the  lids;  his  tones  were  drawling  and 
his  voice  strangely  without  warmth;  his  face 
was  white  and  tired. 

"You  are  not  well,  Grenfall,"  his  mother 
said,  peering  anxiously  into  his  eyes.  "The 
trip  has  done  you  up.  Now,  you  must  take  a 
good,  long  rest  and  recover  from  your  vaca- 
tion." 

He  smiled  grimly. 

"A  man  never  needs  a  rest  so  much  as  he 
does  at  the  end  of  his  vacation,  eh,  mother? 
Well,  work  will  be  restful.  I  shall  go  to  the 
office  this  morning  and  do  three  days'  work 
before  night.  That  will  prove  to  you  that  I 
am  perfectly  well. ' ' 

He  made  a  pretence  of  reading  the  morning 
paper.  There  was  nothing  to  interest  him  on 
those  cold,  commonplace  pages,  not  one  thing 
— but  wait!  A  thought  struck  him  suddenly, 
and  for  ten  minutes  he  searched  the  columns 
assiduously,  even  nervously.  Then  he  threw 
down  the  paper  with  a  sigh  of  relief. 

There  was  nothing  to  indicate  that  her  train 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  87 

had  been  wrecked.  She  had  undoubtedly 
reached  New  York  in  safety.  He  looked  at 
his  watch.  She  was  probably  enjoying  her 
breakfast  at  that  very  moment.  Perhaps  she 
was  thinking  of  him  and — perhaps  not.  The 
memory  of  that  last  tender  hand  clasp  and  the 
soft  glow  in  her  eyes  stood  like  a  wall  between 
the  fear  that  she  had  forgotten  and  the  certainty 
that  she  remembered.  Had  not  this  memory 
kept  him  awake?  That  and  the  final,  myste- 
rious emotion  which  had  shown  itself  in  her  face 
as  he  had  last  looked  upon  it?  A  thousand 
times  had  he  pondered  over  that  startled  look 
and  the  signs  of  agitation.  Was  it  fear?  Was 
it  dismay?  Was  it  renunciation?  Whatever  it 
was,  it  sorely  disturbed  him;  it  had  partly 
undone  the  charm  of  the  moment  before — the 
charm  that  could  not  and  would  not  be  gain- 
said. 

True  to  his  intention,  he  went  to  the  office 
early,  virtuously  inclined  to  work.  His  uncle 
greeted  him  warmly  and  a  long  conference 
over  business  affairs  followed.  To  Lorry's 
annoyance  and  discomfiture  he  found  himself 
frequently  inattentive.  Several  important 
cases  were  pending,  and  in  a  day  or  two  they 
were  to  go  into  court  with  a  damage  suit  of 
more  than  ordinary  consequence.  Lorry, 


88  GRA  USTARK 

senior,  could  not  repress  his  gratification  over 
the  return  of  his  clever,  active  nephew  at  such 
an  opportune  time.  He  had  felt  himself  unable 
to  handle  the  case  alone ;  the  endurance  of  a 
young  and  vigorous  mind  was  required  for  the 
coming  battle  in  chancery. 

They  lunched  together,  the  elder  eager  and 
confidential,  the  other  respectful  and — absent- 
minded.  In  the  afternoon  the  junior  went  over 
the  case,  and  renewed  search  for  authorities 
and  opinions,  fully  determined  to  be  constant 
in  spite  of  his  inclination  to  be  fickle.  Late 
in  the  day  he  petulantly  threw  aside  the  books, 
curtly  informed  his  astonished  uncle  that  he 
was  not  feeling  well,  and  left  the  office.  Until 
dinner  time  he  played  billiards  atrociously  at 
his  club;  at  dinner  his  mother  sharply  re- 
proved him  for  flagrant  inattentions;  after 
dinner  he  smoked  and  wondered  despondently. 
To-morrow  she  was  to  sail!  If  he  could  but 
see  her  once  more ! 

At  7 :  30  his  mother  found  him  in  the  library, 
searching  diligently  through  the  volume  of  the 
encyclopedia  that  contained  the  G's.  When 
she  asked  what  he  was  looking  for  he  laughed 
idiotically,  and,  in  confusion,  informed  her 
that  he  was  trying  to  find  the  name  of  the  most 
important  city  in  Indiana.  She  was  glancing 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  89 

at  the  books  in  the  case  when  she  was  startled 
by  hearing  him  utter  an  exclamation  and  then 
leap  to  his  feet. 

"Half-past  seven!  I  can  make  it!" 
"What  is  the  matter,  Gren  dear?" 
"Oh!"  he  ejaculated,  bringing  himself  up 
with  a  start.  "I  forgot — er — yes,  mother,  I'll 
just  have  time  to  catch  the  train,  you  know. 
Will  you  kindly  have  Mary  clean  up  this  muss 
of  books  and  so  forth?  I'm  off,  you  see,  to 
New  York — for  a  day  only,  mother, — back  to- 
morrow! Important  business — just  remem- 
bered it,  you  know, — ahem !  Good-by,  mother ! 
Good-by!"  He  had  kissed  her  and  was  in  the 
hall  before  she  fairly  understood  what  he  was 
talking  about.  Then  she  ran  after  him,  gain- 
ing the  hallway  in  time  to  see  him  pass  through 
the  street  door,  his  hat  on  the  side  of  his  head, 
his  overcoat  fluttering  furiously  as  he  shoved 
his  arms  into  the  sleeves.  The  door  slammed, 
and  he  was  off  to  New  York. 

The  train  was  ready  to  pull  out  when  he 
reached  the  station,  and  it  was  only  by  a  hard 
run  that  he  caught  the  last  platform,  panting 
but  happy.  Just  twenty-four  hours  before  she 
had  left  Washington,  and  it  was  right  here 
that  she  had  smiled  and  said  she  would  expect 
him  to  come  to  Edelweiss.  He  bad  had  no 


go  GRA  USTARK 

time  to  secure  a  berth  in  the  sleeper,  but  was 
fortunately  able  to  get  one  after  taking  the 
train.  Grenfall  went  to  sleep  feeling  both  dis- 
appointed and  disgusted.  Disappointed  be- 
cause of  his  submission  to  sentiment ;  disgusted 
because  of  the  man  who  occupied  the  next  sec- 
tion. A  man  who  is  in  love  and  in  doubt  has 
no  patience  with  the  prosaic  wretch  who  can 
sleep  so  audibly. 

After  a  hasty  breakfast  in  New  York  he  tele- 
phoned to  the  steamship  company's  pier  and 
asked  the  time  of  sailing  for  the  Kaiser  Wil- 
helm.  On  being  informed  that  the  ship  was  to 
cast  off  at  her  usual  hour,  he  straightway  called 
a  cab  and  was  soon  bowling  along  toward  the 
busy  waterway.  Directly  he  sat  bolt  upright, 
rigid  and  startled  to  find  himself  more  awak- 
ened to  the  realization  of  his  absurd  action. 
Again  it  entered  his  infatuated  head  that  he 
was  performing  the  veriest  schoolboy  trick  in 
rushing  to  a  steamship  pier  in  the  hope  of 
catching  a  final,  and  at  best,  unsatisfactory 
glimpse  of  a  young  woman  who  had  appealed 
to  his  sensitive  admiration.  A  love-sick  boy 
could  be  excused  for  such  a  display  of  im- 
becility, but  a  man — a  man  of  the  world! 
Never! 

"The  idea  of  chasing  down  to  the  water's 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  91 

edge  to  see  that  girl  is  enough  to  make  you 
ashamed  of  yourself  for  life,  Grenfall  Lorry," 
he  apostrophized.  "It's  worse  than  any  love- 
sick fool  ever  dreamed  of  doing.  I  am 
blushing,  I'll  «be  bound.  The  idiocy,  the 
rank  idiocy  of  the  thing!  And  suppose  she 
should  see  me  staring  at  her  out  there  on  the 
pier?  What  would  she  think  of  me?  I'll  not 
go  another  foot!  I  won't  be  a  fool!" 

He  was  excited  and  self-conscious  and  thor- 
oughly ashamed  .of  the  trip  into  which  his 
impetuous  adoration  had  driven  him.  Just  as 
he  was  tugging  at  the  door  in  the  effort  to 
open  it  that  he  might  order  the  driver  to  take 
him  back  to  the  hotel,  a  sly  tempter  whispered 
something  in  his  ear;  his  fancy  was  caught, 
and  he  listened : 

"Why  not  go  down  to  the  pier  and  look  over 
the  passenger  list,  just  to  see  if  she  has  been 
booked  safely?  That  would  be  perfectly 
proper  and  sensible,  and  besides  it  will  be  a 
satisfaction  to  know  that  she  gets  off  all  right. 
Certainly!  There's  nothing  foolish  in  that. 
.  .  .  Especially  as  I  am  right  on  the  way 
there.  .  .  .  And  as  I  have  come  so  far  .  .  . 
there's  no  sense  in  going  back  without  seeing 
whether  she  has  secured  passage.  ...  I  can 
find  out  in  a  minute  and  then  go  home.  .  .  . 


9*  GRA  USTARK 

There  won't  be  anything  wrong  in  that.  And 
then  I  may  have  a  glimpse  of  her  before  the 
ship  leaves  the  pier.  She  must  not  see  me,  of 
course.  Never!  SheV.  laugh  at  me!  How 
I'd  hate  to  see  her  laughing  at  me!"  Then, 
sinking  back  again  with  a  smile  of  justification 
on  his  face,  he  muttered:  "We  won't  turn 
back;  we'll  go  right  ahead.  We'll  be  a  kind  of 
a  fool,  but  not  so  foolish  as  to  allow  her  to  see 
us  and  recognize  us  as  one. ' ' 

Before  long  they  arrived  at  the  wharf,  and 
he  hurried  to  the  office  near  by.  The  clerk 
permitted  him  to  look  over  the  list.  First  he 
ran  through  the  first-class  passengers,  and  was 
surprised  to  find  that  there  was  no  such  name 
as  Guggenslocker  in  the  list.  Then  he  went 
over  the  second  class,  but  still  no  Guggen- 
slocker. 

"Hasn't  Mr.  Guggenslocker  taken  passage?" 
he  demanded,  unwilling  to  believe  his  eyes. 

"Not  on  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm,  sir." 

"Then,  by  George,  they'll  miss  the  boat!" 
Lorry  exclaimed.  "Maybe  they'll  be  here  in 
a  few  minutes. ' ' 

"They  can't  get  anything  but  steerage  now, 
sir.  Everything  else  is  gone. ' ' 

"Are  you  sure  they  haven't  taken  passage?" 
asked  the  bewildered  Lorry,  weakly. 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  93 

"You  can  see  for  yourself,"  answered  the 
young  man,  curtly. 

Lorry  was  again  in  a  perspiration,  this  time 
the  result  of  a  vague,  growing  suspicion  that 
had  forced  itself  into  his  mind.  He  wandered 
aimlessly  away,  his  brain  a  chaos  of  specula- 
tion. The  suspicion  to  which  he  had  given 
countenance  grew,  and  as  it  enlarged  he 
suffered  torment  untold.  Gradually  he  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  she  had  fooled  him,  had 
lied  to  him.  She  did  not  intend  to  sail  on  the 
Wilhelm,  at  all.  It  was  all  very  clear  to  him 
now,  that  strangeness  in  her  manner,  those  odd 
occasional  smiles.  What  was  she?  An  ad- 
venturess !  That  sweet-faced  girl  a  little  ordi- 
nary coquette,  a  liar?  He  turned  cold  with 
the  thought.  Nor  was  she  alone  in  her 
duplicity.  Had  not  her  uncle  and  aunt  been 
as  ready  to  deceive  him?  Were  they  trying  to 
throw  him  off  their  track  for  some  subtle  pur- 
pose? Had  they  done  something  for  which 
they  were  compelled  to  fly  the  country  as 
quickly  as  possible?  No!  Not  that!  They 
certainly  were  not  fleeing  from  justice.  But 
why  were  they  not  on  board  the  Kaiser  Wil- 
helm? 

Suddenly  he  started  as  if  he  had  been  struck, 
and  an  involuntary  exclamation  of  pain  and 


94  GRA  USTARK 

horror  escaped  his  lips.  Perhaps  something 
unforeseen  had  happened — an  accident — ill- 
ness— even  death! 

The  clanging  of  bells  broke  upon  his  ears 
and  he  knew  that  the  great  ship  was  about 
to  depart.  Mechanically,  disconsolately  he 
walked  out  and  paced  the  broad,  crowded 
wharf.  All  was  excitement.  There  was  the 
rush  of  people,  the  shouts,  the  cheers,  the 
puffing  of  tugs,  the  churning  of  water,  and  the 
Kaiser  Wilhelm  was  off  on  its  long  voyage. 
Half-heartedly,  miserably  and  in  a  dazed  con- 
dition he  found  a  place  in  the  front  row  along 
the  rail.  There  were  tears  in  his  eyes,  tears 
of  anger,  shame  and  mortification.  She  had 
played  with  him ! 

Moodily  he  watched  the  crowd  of  voyagers 
hanging  over  the  rails  of  the  moving  leviathan 
of  the  deep.  A  faint  smile  of  irony  came  to 
his  lips.  This  was  the  boat  on  which  his  heart 
was  to  have  been  freighted  from  native  shores. 
The  craft  was  sailing,  but  it  was  not  carrying 
the  cargo  that  he  had,  in  very  good  faith,  con- 
signed to  Graustark.  His  heart  was  certainly 
not  on  board  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  der  Grosse. 

Gloomily  his  disappointed  eyes  swept  along 
the  rail  of  the  big  steamer,  half  interested  in 
spite  of  themselves.  Twice  they  passed  a  cer- 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  95 

tain  point  on  the  forward  deck,  unconscious  of 
a  force  that  was  attracting  them  in  that  direc- 
tion. The  third  time  he  allowed  them  to  settle 
for  an  instant  on  the  group  of  faces  and  figures 
and  then  stray  off  to  other  parts  of  the  ship. 
Some  strange  power  drew  them  again  to  the 
forward  deck,  and  this  time  he  was  startled 
into  an  intent  stare.  Could  he  believe  those 
eyes?  Surely  that  was  her  figure  at  the  rail — 
there  between  the  two  young  women  who  were 
waving  their  handkerchiefs  so  frantically.  His 
heart  began  to  jump  up  and  down,  wildly, 
doubtingly,  impatiently.  Why  could  not  that 
face  be  turned  toward  the  wharf  as  the  others 
were?  There  was  the  blue  coat  but  not  the 
blue  cap.  A  jaunty  sailor  hat  sat  where  the 
never-to-be-forgotten  cap  had  perched.  The 
change  was  slight,  but  it  was  sufficient  to 
throw  him  into  the  most  feverish  state  of  un- 
certainty. An  insane  desire  to  shout  a  com- 
mand to  this  strange  young  woman  came  over 
him. 

The  ship  was  slowly  opening  a  gap  between 
herself  and  the  wharf,  and  he  knew  that  in  a 
few  moments  recognition  would  be  impossible. 
Just  as  he  was  losing  hope  and  was  ready  to 
groan  with  despair,  the  face  beneath  the  sailor 
hat  was  turned  squarely  in  his  direction.  A 


96  GRA  USTARK 

glaze  obscured  his  eyes,  a  numbness  attacked 
his  brain.  It  was  Miss  Guggenslocker! 

Why  was  her  name  omitted  from  the  pas- 
senger list?  That  question  was  the  first  to 
whirl  through  his  addled  brain.  He  forgot 
the  questionings,  forgot  everything  a  mo- 
ment later,  for,  to  his  amazement  and  delight 
and  discomfiture,  he  saw  that  she  was  peering 
intently  at  him.  A  pair  of  big  glasses  was 
leveled  at  him  for  a  second  and  then  lowered. 
He  plainly  saw  the  smile  on  her  face,  and  the 
fluttering  cambric  in  her  hand.  She  had  seen 
him,  after  all, — had  caught  him  in  a  silly  exhi- 
bition of  weakness.  Her  last  impression  of 
him,  then,  was  to  be  one  of  which  he  could  not 
feel  proud.  While  his  heart  burned  with 
shame,  it  could  not  have  been  suspected  from 
the  appearance  of  his  face.  His  eyes  were 
dancing,  his  mouth  was  wide  open  with  joy, 
his  lips  were  quivering  with  a  suppressed 
shout,  his  cheeks  were  flushed  and  his  whole 
aspect  bespoke  ecstacy.  He  waved  his  hat 
and  then  his  handkerchief,  obtaining  from  her 
vigorous  and  unrestrained  signs  of  approba- 
tion. Her  face  was  wreathed  in  smiles  as  she 
leaned  far  over  the  rail,  the  picture  of  ani- 
mated pleasure. 

Making  sure  that  her  uncle  and  aunt  were 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  97 

not  visible,  he  boldly  placed  his  fingers  to  his 
lips  and  wafted  a  kiss  out  over  the  water! 

"Now  she'll  crush  me,"  he  cried  to  him- 
self, regretting  the  rash  act  and  praying  that 
she  had  not  observed  it. 

Her  handkerchief  ceased  fluttering  in  an 
instant,  and,  with  sinking  heart,  he  realized 
that  she  had  observed.  There  was  a  moment 
of  indecision  on  the  part  of  the  fair  one  going 
out  to  sea,  and  then  the  little  finger  tips  of 
both  hands  went  to  her  lips  and  his  kiss  came 
back  to  him ! 

The  people  near  him  were  surprised  to  hear 
a  wild  yell  from  his  lips  and  then  to  see  him 
wave  his  hat  so  madly  that  there  was  some 
danger  of  its  being  knocked  to  pieces  against 
the  railing  or  upon  the  persons  of  those  who 
stood  too  close  to  escape  the  whirling  conse- 
quences. So  unexpected  had  been  her  recep- 
tion of  what  he  considered  a  calamitous 
indiscretion  that  he  was  to  be  pardoned  for  the 
ebullition  of  relief  and  joy  that  followed.  Had 
she  drawn  a  revolver  and  fired  angrily  at  him 
he  could  not  have  been  more  astounded.  But, 
to  actually  throw  a  kiss  to  him — to  meet  his 
imprudence  in  the  same  spirit  that  had  inspired 
it!  Too  much  to  believe!  In  the  midst  of  his 
elation,  however,  there  came  a  reminder  that 


98  GRA  USTARK 

she  did  not  expect  to  see  him  again,  that  she 
was  playing  with  him,  that  it  was  a  merry  jest 
and  not  a  heartache  that  filled  her  bosom  at 
the  parting. 

While  he  was  still  waving  his  handkerchief, 
debating  savagely  and  joyously  the  wisdom  of 
the  act,  she  became  a  part  of  the  distant  color 
scheme;  the  blue  figure  faded  and  blended 
into  the  general  tone  and  could  no  longer  be 
distinguished.  She  was  gone,  but  she  had 
tossed  him  a  kiss  from  lips  that  he  should 
always  see.  As  he  turned  away  from  the 
water  he  found  himself  wondering  if  there  had 
been  tears  in  her  eyes,  but  the  probability  was 
so  remote  that  he  laughed  foolishly  and  aloud. 
A  couple  of  girls  heard  the  laugh  and  giggled 
in  sympathy,  but  he  turned  a  scowling  face 
upon  them  and  disappeared  in  the  throng. 

Uppermost  in  his  bewildered  mind  was  the 
question :  Why  is  she  not  in  the  passenger  list? 
Acting  on  a  sudden  impulse,  he  again  sought 
out  the  clerk  in  charge  and  made  a  most 
thorough  inspection.  There  was  no  Guggen- 
slocker  among  the  names.  As  a  last  resort  he 
asked': 

"They  could  not  have  sailed  under  an 
assumed  name,  could  they?" 

4  *  I  can '  t  say  as  to  that.  Where  are  they  going? ' ' 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  99 

"Graustark." 

But  the  young  man  shook  his  head  slowly, 
Lorry's  shaking  in  unconscious  accord. 

"Are  you  sure  that  you  saw  the  young  lady 
on  board?" 

"Well,  rather!"  exclaimed  Lorry,  emphatic- 
ally. 

"I  was  going  to  say  there  are  a  lot  of  Italian 
and  German  singers  on  the  ship,  and  you  might 
have  been  mistaken.  But  since  you  are  so 
positive,  it  seems  very  strange  that  your  friends 
are  not  on  the  list. ' ' 

So  Lorry  went  away  discouraged  and  with  a 
vague  fear  that  she  might  have  been  a  prima 
donna  whose  real  name  was  Guggenslocker  but 
whose  stage  name  was  something  more  eupho- 
nious. He  instantly  put  away  the  thought  and 
the  fear.  She  was  certainly  not  an  opera 
singer — impossible!  He  drove  back  to  his 
hotel,  and  made  preparations  for  his  return  to 
Washington.  Glancing  casually  over  the  reg- 
ister he  came  to  the  name  that  had  been  haunt- 
ing him — Guggenslocker!  There  were  the 
names,  "Caspar  Guggenslocker  and  four, 
Graustark."  Without  hesitation  he  began  to 
question  the  clerk. 

"They  sailed  on  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  to-day," 
said  tnat  worthy.  "That's  all  I  know  about 


ioo  GRAUSTARK     • 

them.  They  came  yesterday  and  left  to- 
day." 

Mr.  Grenfall  Lorry  returned  to  Washington 
as  in  a  dream — a  fairy  dream.  The  air  of 
mystery  that  had  grown  from  the  first  was  now 
an  impenetrable  wall,  the  top  of  which  his 
curiosity  could  not  scale.  Even  his  fancy,  his 
imagination,  served  him  not.  There  was  but 
one  point  on  which  he  was  satisfied :  he  was  in 
love.  His  own  condition  was  no  mystery. 

Several  weeks  later  he  went  to  New  York  to 
question  the  Captain  of  the  Wilhelm,  hoping  to 
clear  away  the  clouds  satisfactorily.  To  his 
amazement,  the  captain  said  there  had  been  no 
Guggenslockers  on  board  nor  had  there  been 
persons  answering  the  description,  so  far  as  he 
could  tell. 

Through  the  long  hot  summer  he  worked, 
and  worried,  and  wondered.  In  the  first,  he 
did  little  that  was  satisfactory  to  himself  or  to 
his  uncle ;  in  the  second,  he  did  so  much  that 
he  was  advised  by  his  physician  to  take  a 
rest;  in  the  last,  he  indulged  himself  so  ex- 
tensively that  it  had  become  unbearable.  He 
must  know  all  about  her!  But  how? 

Th^  early  months  of  autumn  found  him  pale 
and  t.red  and  indifferent  alike  to  work  and 
play.  He  found  no  pleasure  in  the  society  that 


SENTIMENTAL  EXCHANGE  xoi 

had  known  him  as  a  lion.  Women  bored  him ; 
men  annoyed  him;  the  play  suffocated  him; 
the  tiresome  club  was  ruining  his  temper; 
the  whole  world  was  going  wrong.  The  doc- 
tor told  him  he  was  approaching  nervous  pros- 
tration; his  mother's  anxious  eyes  could  no 
longer  be  denied,  so  he  realized  grimly  that 
there  was  but  one  course  left  open  to  him. 
He  suggested  it  to  the  doctor,  to  his  mother 
and  to  his  uncle,  and  they  agreed  with  him. 
It  involved  Europe. 

Having  fully  decided  again  to  cross  the  sea, 
his  spirits  revived.  He  became  more  cheer- 
ful, took  an  interest  in  things  that  were  going 
on,  and,  by  the  time  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  sailed 
in  September,  was  the  picture  of  health  and 
life. 

He  was  off  for  Edelweiss — to  the  strange 
Miss  Guggenslocker  who  had  thrown  him  a 
kiss  from  the  deck  that  sailing-day. 


VI 


GRAUSTARX 

Two  weeks  later  Grenfall  Lorry  was  landed 
and  enjoying  the  sensations,  the  delights  of  that 
wonderful  world  called  by  the  name  of  Paris. 
The  second  day  after  his  arrival  he  met  a  Har- 
vard man  of  his  time  on  the  street.  Harry 
Anguish  had  been  a  pseudo  art  student  for 
two  years.  When  at  college  he  was  a  hail- 
fellow-well-met,  a  leader  in  athletics  and  in 
matters  upon  which  faculties  frown.  He  and 
Lorry  were  warm  friends,  although  utterly 
unlike  in  temperament;  to  know  either  of 
these  men  was  to  like  him ;  between  the  two 
one  found  all  that  was  admirable  and  inter- 
esting in  man.  The  faults  and  virtues  of  each 
were  along  such  different  lines  that  they  bal- 
anced perfectly  when  lumped  upon  the  scale  of 
personal  estimation.  Their  unexpected  meet- 
ing in  Paris,  was  an  exhilarating  pleasure  to 
both,  and  for  the  next  week  or  so  they  were 
inseparable.  Together  they  sipped  absinthe 
at  the  cafe's  and  strolled  into  the  theaters,  the 

102 


GRA  USTARK  103 

opera,  the  dance  halls  and  the  homes  of  some 
of  Anguish's  friends,  French  and  American. 

Lorry  did  not  speak  to  his  friend  of  Graustark 
until  nearly  two  weeks  after  his  arrival  in  the 
city.  He  had  discussed  with  himself  the  advis- 
ability of  revealing  his  plans  to  Anguish,  fear- 
ing the  latter 's  ridicule  with  all  the  cowardice 
of  a  man  who  knows  that  scoffing  is,  in  a  large 
measure,  justifiable.  Growing  impatient  to 
begin  the  search  for  the  unheard-of  country, 
its  capital  and  at  least  one  of  its  inhabitants,  he 
was  at  last  compelled  to  inform  Anguish,  to  a 
certain  extent,  of  his  plans  for  the  future.  He 
began  by  telling  him  of  his  intention  to  take  a 
run  over  toward  Vienna,  Buda-Pesth  and  some 
of  the  Eastern  cities,  expecting  to  be  gone  a 
couple  of  months.  To  his  surprise  and  con- 
sternation, Anguish  enthusiastically  volun- 
teered to  take  the  trip  with  him,  having 
had  the  same  project  in  view  for  nearly  a 
year. 

There  was  nothing  left  for  Lorry  but  to 
make  a  clean  breast  of  it,  which  he  did  shame- 
facedly, expecting  the  laughter  and  raillery  of 
his  light-hearted  friend  as  payment  for  his  con- 
fidence. Instead,  however,  Anguish,  who  pos- 
sessed a  lively  and  romantic  nature,  was 
charmed  by  the  story  and  proclaimed  it  to  be 


104  GRA  USTARK 

the  most  delightful  adventure  that  had  ever 
happened  outside  of  a  story-book. 

"Tell  me  all  about  her,"  he  urged,  his  eyes 
sparkling  with  boyish  enthusiasm.  And  Lorry 
proceeded  to  give  him  a  personal  description  of 
the  mysterious  beauty,  introducing  him,  in  the 
same  manner,  to  the  distinguished  uncle  and 
aunt,  adding  all  those  details  which  had  con- 
founded and  upset  him  during  his  own  investi- 
gations. 

' '  This  is  rich ! ' '  exclaimed  Anguish.  ' '  Beats 
any  novel  written,  I  declare.  Begad,  old  man, 
I  don't  blame  you  for  hunting  down  this  won- 
derful bit  of  femininity.  With  a  curiosity  and 
an  admiration  that  had  been  sharpened  so 
keenly  as  yours,  I'd  go  to  the  end  of  the  world 
myself  to  have  them  satisfied. ' ' 

"I  may  be  able  to  satisfy  but  one — curiosity. 
And  maybe  not  that.  But  who  knows  of 
Graustark?" 

4 '  Don't  give  up  before  you've  tried.  If  these 
people  live  in  such  a  place,  why,  it  is  to  be 
found,  of  course.  Any  railroad  guide-book  can 
locate  this  land  of  mystery.  There  are  so 
many  infernal  little  kingdoms  and  principalities 
over  here  that  it  would  take  a  lifetime  to  get 
'em  all  straightened  out  in  one's  head.  To- 
morrow morning  we  will  go  to  one  of  the  big 


GRA  USTARK  105 

railway  stations  and  make  inquiries.  We'll 
locate  Graustark  and  then  we'll  go  over  and 
pluck  the  flower  that  grows  there.  All  you 
need,  my  boy,  is  a  manager.  I'll  do  the 
arranging,  and  your  little  act  will  be  the  pluck- 
ing." 

"Easier  said  than  done." 

"She  threw  a  kiss  to  you,  didn't  she?" 

"Certainly,  but,  confound  it,  that  was  be- 
cause she  never  expected  to  see  me  again. ' ' 

"Same  reason  why  you  threw  a  kiss  to  her, 
I  suppose?" 

"I  know  why;  I  wasn't  accountable." 

"Well,  if  she  did  it  any  more  wittingly  than 
you  did,  she  is  accountable,  and  I'd  hunt  her 
up  and  demand  an  explanation. ' ' 

Lorry  laughed  at  his  apparent  fervor,  but 
was  glad  that  he  had  confided  in  his  energetic 
countryman.  Two  heads  were  better  than 
one,  and  he  was  forced  to  admit  to  himself  that 
he  rather  liked  the  idea  of  company  in  the 
undertaking.  Not  that  he  expected  to  en- 
counter any  particular  difficulty,  but  that  he 
saw  a  strange  loneliness  ahead.  Therefore  he 
welcomed  his  friend's  t  avowed  intention  to 
accompany  him  to  Edelweiss  as  a  relief  instead 
of  an  annoyance.  Until  late  in  the  night  they 
discussed  the  coming  trip,  Anguish  finally 


io6  GRA  U STARK 

startling  him  with  a  question,  just  as  he  was 
stretching  himself  preparatory  to  the  walk  to 
his  hotel. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  her  after 
you  find  her,  Gren,  old  man?" 

Grenf all's  brow  puckered  and  he  brought 
himself  up  with  a  jerk,  puzzled  uncertainty 
expressing  itself  in  his  posture  as  well  as  in  his 
face. 

"I'll  think  about  that  after  I  have  found 
her,"  he  replied. 

"Think  you'll  marry  her?"  persisted  the 
other. 

"How  do  I  know?"  exclaimed  the  woman 
hunter,  savagely. 

"Oh,  of  course  you  don't  know — how  could 
you?"  apologized  Anguish.  "Maybe  she  won't 
have  you — maybe  she  is  married — all  sorts  of 
contingencies,  you  know.  But,  if  you'll  par- 
don my  inquisitiveness,  I'd  like  to  ask  why  you 
are  making  this  wild  goose  chase  half  around 
the  world?  Just  to  have  another  look  at  her?" 

"You  asked  me  if  I  thought "  Here  he 

stopped. 

"I  take  it  for  granted,  then,  that  you'd  like 
to.  Well,  I'm  glad  that  I've  got  something 
definite  on  which  to  base  operations.  The  one 
object  of  our  endeavors,  from  now  on,  is  to 


GRA  USTARK  107 

exchange  Guggenslocker  for  Lorry — certainly 
no  robbery.  A  charity,  I  should  say.  Good- 
night! See  you  in  the  morning. " 

The  next  morning  the  two  friends  took  a  cab 
to  several  railway  stations  and  inquired  about 
Graustark  and  Edelweiss. 

"She  was  stringing  you,  old  man,"  said 
Anguish,  after  they  had  turned  away  from  the 
third  station.  He  spoke  commiseratingly,  as 
he  really  felt  sorry. 

"No!"  exclaimed  Lorry.  "She  told  me  the 
truth.  There  is  a  Graustark  and  she  lives 
there.  I'll  stake  my  life  on  those  eyes  of  hers. " 

"Are  you  sure  she  said  it  was  in  Europe?" 
asked  Harry,  looking  up  and  down  the  street  as 
if  he  would  not  have  been  surprised  to  see  her 
in  Paris.  In  his  heart  he  believed  that  she  and 
her  precious  relatives  had  deceived  old  Gren. 
Perhaps  their  home  was  in  Paris,  and  nowhere 
else.  But  for  Lorry's  positiveness  he  would 
have  laughed  heartily  at  the  other's  simple 
credulity,  or  branded  him  a  dolt,  the  victim  of 
some  merry  actress's  whim.  Still,  he  was 
forced  to  admit,  he  was  not  in  a  position  to  see 
matters  as  they  appeared,  and  was  charitable 
enough  to  bide  his  time  and  to  humor  the  faith 
that  was  leading  them  from  place  to  place  in 
the  effort  to  find  a  land  that  they  knew  nothing 


io8  GRAUSTARK 

about,  Lorry  seemed  so  sure,  so  positive,  that 
he  was  loath  to  see  his  dream  dispelled,  his 
ideal  shattered.  There  was  certainly  no 
Graustark;  neither  had  the  Guggenslockers 
sailed  on  the  Wilhelm,  all  apparent  evidence  to 
the  contrary  notwithstanding.  Lorry  had  been 
in  a  delirium  and  had  imagined  he  saw  her  on 
the  ship.  If  there,  why  was  not  her  name  in 
the  list?  But  that  problem  tortured  the  san- 
guine searcher  himself. 

At  last,  in  despair,  after  a  fruitless  search  of 
two  days,  Lorry  was  willing  to  submit.  With 
the  perverseness  common  to  half-defeated 
fighters,  Anguish  at  once  protested,  forgetting 
that  he  had  sought  to  dissuade  his  friend  the 
day  before. 

"We'll  go  to  the  library  of  Paris  and  take  a 
look  through  the  books  and  maps,"  he  said. 
"Or,  better  still,  let  us  go  to  the  post  office. 
There!  Why  have  we  not  thought  of  that? 
What  there  is  of  Graustark  they'll  know  in  the 
postal  service." 

Together  they  visited  the  chief  post  office, 
where,  after  being  directed  to  various  deputies 
and  clerks,  they  at  length  found  the  depart- 
ment in  which  the  information  was  obtainable. 
Inside  of  five  minutes  they  were  in  possession 
of  facts  that  vindicated  Miss  Guggenslocker, 


GRA  USTARK  109 

lifted  Tvorry  to  the  seventh  heaven,  and  put 
Mr.  Anguish  into  an  agony  of  impatience. 
Graustark  was  a  small  principality  away  off  to 
the  east,  and  Edelweiss  was  a  city  of  some 
seventy-five  thousand  inhabitants,  according  to 
the  postal  guide-book. 

The  Americans  could  learn  no  more  there,  so 
they  went  to  Baedecker's  office.  Here  they 
found  a  great  map,  and,  after  a  diligent  and 
almost  microscopic  search,  succeeded  in  dis- 
covering the  principality  of  Graustark.  Then 
they  looked  at  each  other  in  dismay. 

"It's  a  devil  of  a  distance  to  that  little  red 
blot  on  the  map,"  mused  Lorry,  pulling  his 
nose  reflectively.  "What  an  outlandish  place 
for  a  girl  like  her  to  live  in,"  he  continued. 
"And  that  sweet-faced  old  lady  and  noble 
Uncle  Caspar!  Ye  gods!  one  would  think 
barbarians  existed  there  and  not  such  people 
as  the  Guggenslockers,  refined,  cultivated 
smart,  rich.  I'm  more  interested  than  ever 
in  the  place." 

"So  am  I!  I'm  willing  and  ready  to  make 
the  trip,  old  man,  if  you  are  still  of  a  mind. 
It's  a  lark,  and,  besides,  she  may  not  be  the 
only  pretty  and  gracious  girl  there.  We've  had 
hard  work  to  find  it  on  the  map,  let's  not  stop 
till  we  see  Edelweiss  on  the  earth  itself." 


no  GRAUSTARK 

They  made  hasty  preparations  for  £_t  jour- 
ney. Anguish,  romantic  and  full  of  adven- 
ture, advised  the  purchase  of  a  pair  of  pistols 
and  a  knife  apiece,  maintaining  that,  as  they 
were  going  into  an  unknown  and  mountainous 
region,  they  should  be  prepared  for  brigands 
and  other  elements  of  danger.  Lorry  pooh- 
poohed  the  suggestion  of  brigands,  but  indulged 
his  mood  by  buying  some  ugly-looking  re- 
volvers and  inviting  the  prospect  of  something 
really  thrilling  in  the  way  of  an  adventure. 
With  their  traps  they  were  soon  whirling 
through  France,  bound  for  a  certain  great 
city,  on  the  road  to  Edelweiss,  one  filled  with 
excitement,  eagerness  and  boyish  zeal,  the 
other  harrassed  by  the  sombre  fear  that  a 
grave  disappointment  was  in  store  for  him. 
Through  the  glamour  and  the  picturesqueness 
of  the  adventure  there  always  crept  the  uncon- 
querable feeling  that  he  was  on  a  fool's  errand, 
that  he  was  committing  a  deed  so  weak  and 
brainless  that  it  was  sure  to  make  him  a  ver- 
itable laughing-stock  when  it  became  known. 
After  all,  who  was  Miss  Guggenslocker — 
brewer,  baker,  gardener  or  sausage-maker, 

Traveling,  of  course,  was  pleasant  at  this 
time  of  the  year,  and  the  two  Americans  saw 
much  that  interested  them  along  the  way. 


GRAUSTARK  in 

Their  French,  especially  Anguish's,  was  of 
great  value  to  them,  for  they  found  occasion  to 
use  it  at  all  times  and  in  all  places.  Both 
spoke  German  fairly  well,  and  took  every  op- 
portunity to  brush  up  in  that  language,  Lorry 
remembering  that  the  Guggenslockers  used 
many  expressions  that  showed  a  preference  for 
the  Teutonic.  The  blithe  Anguish,  confident 
and  in  high  feather,  was  heart  and  soul  in  the 
odd  expedition  of  love,  and  talked  incessantly 
of  their  reception  by  the  far-away  hostess, 
their  impressions  and  the  final  result.  His 
camera  and  sketching  materials  were  packed 
away  with  his  traps.  It  was  his  avowed  inten- 
tion to  immortalize  the  trip  by  means  of  plate, 
palate  and  brush. 

At  the  end  of  two  days  they  reached  a  cer- 
tain large  city, — the  first  change,  and  then 
seven  hundred  miles  to  another.  The  distance 
from  this  point  to  the  capital  of  Graustark  was 
two  hundred  miles  or  more,  chiefly  through 
mountainous  lands.  Somewhat  elated  by  the 
cheerful  information  there  received,  they  re- 
sumed the  journey  to  Edelweiss,  the  city  of 
vale,  slope  and  park, — summer,  fall  and  win- 
ter. Changing  cars  at  the  end  of  the  second 
day  out,  they  sat  back  in  the  dusty  seats  of 
their  carriage  and  sighed  with  relief. 


H2  GRAUSTARK 

"Unless  we  jump  the  track,  this  train  will 
land  us  in  the  city  we  are  looking  for,"  said 
Anguish,  stretching  out  his  legs  comfortably. 
"I'll  admit  it  has  been  a  tiresome  journey, 
and  I'll  be  glad  when  we  can  step  into  a  decent 
hotel,  have  a  rub,  and  feel  like  white  men  once 
more.  I  am  beginning  to  feel  like  these  dirty 
Slavs  and  Huns  we  saw  'way  back  there." 

"There's  one  thing  certain,"  said  Lorry, 
looking  out  of  the  window.  "The  people  and 
the  habitations  are  different  and  the  whole 
world  seems  changed  since  we  left  that  station. 
Look  at  those  fellows  on  horseback  over  there. ' ' 

"What  did  I  tell  you  about  brigands  and 
robbers!"  exclaimed  Anguish.  "If  those  fel- 
lows are  not  bandits  I'll  lose  faith  in  every 
novel  I  ever  read. ' ' 

The  train  rolled  slowly  past  three  mounted 
men  whose  steeds  stood  like  statues  upon  a 
little  knoll  to  the  right  of  the  track,  men  and 
beasts  engaged  in  silent  contemplation  of  the 
cars.  The  men,  picturesquely  attired  and 
looking  fierce,  carrying  long  rifles,  certainly 
bore  an  aspect  that  suggested  the  brigand. 
When  the  guard  entered  the  carriage  Anguish 
asked  in  German  for  some  information  con- 
cerning the  riders. 

"Dey're  frontier  police -guards, "  responded 


GRAUSTARK  113 

the  man  in  English,  smiling  at  their  astonish- 
ment. Both  Americans  arose  and  shook  hands 
with  him. 

"By  George,  it's  good  to  hear  a  man  talk 
white  man's  language,"  cried  Anguish. 

"How  do  you  come  to  be  holding  a  job  on 
this  road?  An  Englishman?"  demanded 
Lorry.  He  looked  anything  but  English. 

"I'm  not  an  Englishman, "  said  the  guard, 
flushing  slightly.  "My  name's  Sitzky,  and  I'm 
an  American,  sir." 

"An  American!"  exclaimed  Lorry.  Sitzky 
grew  loquacious. 

"Sure!  I  used  to  be  a  sailor  on  a  United 
States  man-o'-war.  A  couple  of  years  ago  I 
got  into  trouble  down  at  Constantinople  and 
had  to  get  out  of  de  service.  After  dat  I 
drifted  up  dis  way  and  went  to  railroadin'." 
He  hadn't  exactly  the  manner  of  a  man-of- 
warsman. 

"How  long  have  you  been  on  this  road?" 
asked  Grenfall. 

"  'Bout  a  year,  I  should  t'ink.  Been  on  dis 
branch  only  two  months,  dough. ' ' 

"Are  you  pretty  well  acquainted  in  Edel- 
weiss?" 

"Oh,  I  run  in  dere  every  other  day — in  an' 
out  ag'in.  It's  a  fine  place, — purtiest  you 


H4  GRAUSTARK 

ever  saw  in  your  life.  The  town  runs  right  up 
the  mountain  to  the  tip-top  where  the  monks 
are — clear  up  in  d'  clouds.  Dey  say  it  snows 
up  dere  almost  all  d'  time." 

Later  on,  from  the  loquacious  guard,  the  two 
Americans  learned  quite  a  good  bit  about  the 
country  and  city  to  which  they  were  going. 
His  knowledge  was  somewhat  limited  along 
certain  lines,  but  quite  clear  as  to  others. 

'Dis  Graustark,  's  fer  as  I  know,  is  eeder  a 
sort  o*  state  or  somet'ing  belongin'  to  de 
Umpire,  governed  by  it's  own  rulers.  Edel- 
weiss is  de  capital,  d'  big  guns  of  d'  land  lives 
dere.  I've  walked  out  and  saw  d'  castle  where 
d'  Princess  and  d'  royalty  hangs  out.  D' 
people  speak  a  language  of  deir  own,  and  I 
can't  get  next  to  a  t'ing  dey  say.  But  once  in 
a  while  you  find  some  guy  dat  talks  French  or 
German.  Dey've  got  a  little  standin'  army  of 
two  free  t'ousand  men  an'  dey've  got  de 
hottest  uniforms  you  ever  did  see — red  an' 
black  an'  gold.  I  don't  see  why  d'  United 
States  can't  get  up  somethin'  foxy  fer  her 
soldiers  to  wear.  Had  a  war  over  here  not 
long  ago,  I  understand — somethin'  like  ten 
or  fifteen  years  ago.  Dere's  another  little 
country  up  north  of  Graustark,  and  dey  got 
in  a  wrangle  'bout  somethin',  and  dey  tell  me 


GRAUSTARK  115 

in  Edelweiss  dat  for  'bout  a  year  dey  fought 
like  Sam  Patch." 

"Which  was  victorious?"  demanded  Lorry, 
deeply  interested. 

"I'm  not  sure.  To  hear  d'  Edelweiss  people 
talk  you'd  t'ink  dey  licked  d'  daylights  out  of 
d'  other  slobs,  but  somehow  I  got  next  to  d' 
fact  dat  dem  other  fellows  captured  de  city 
an'  went  after  a  slashin'  big  war  indemnity. 
I  don't  know  much  'bout  it,  an*  maybe  I'm 
clear  off  but  I  t'ink  d'  Graustark  army  was 
t'rashed.  Every  t'ing  is  prosperous  now, 
dough,  an'  you'd  never  know  dere'd  been  a 
war.  It's  d'most  peaceable  town  I  ever  saw." 

"Did  you  ever  hear  of  the  Guggenslockers?" 
asked  the  irrepressible  Anguish,  and  Lorry 
felt  like  kicking  him. 

"In  Edelweiss?  Never  did.  Friends  of 
yours?" 

"Acquaintances,"  interposed  Lorry,  hastily, 
frowning  at  Anguish. 

"You  won't  have  any  trouble  findin'  'em  if 
dere  anybody  at  all,"  said  Sitzky,  easily.  "D' 
hotel  people  ought  to  be  able  to  tell  you  all 
'bout  'em." 

"By  the  way,  what  is  the  best  hotel  there?" 
asked  Anguish. 

"Dere's  d'  Burnowentz,  one  block  north  of  d' 


n6  GRAUSTARK 

depot. ' '  The  travelers  looked  at  one  another 
and  smiled,  Sitzky  observing  the  action. 
"Oh,"  he  said,  pleasantly,  "dere's  a  swell 
joint  uptown  called  d'  Regengetz.  It's  too 
steep  fer  me,  but  maybe  you  gents  can  stand 
it.  If  you'll  hang  around  d'  depot  fer  a  little 
while  after  we  get  in  I'll  steer  you  up  dere. " 

"We'll  make  it  worth  your  while,  Sitzky," 
said  Lorry. 

"Never  mind  dat,  now.  Americans  ought  to 
stick  together,  no  matter  where  dey  are. 
We'll  have  a  drink  an'  'at's  all,  just  to  show 
we're  fellow  countrymen." 

"We'll  have  several  drinks,  and  we'll  eat  and 
drink  to-night  at  the  'swell  joint'  you  talk 
about,"  said  Anguish. 

"We  may  drink  dere,  but  I'll  not  eat  dere. 
Dey  wouldn't  let  a  railroad  guard  inside  de 
feedin*  pen.  Why,  nothin'  but  royal  guys  eat 
dere  when  dey 're  down  town  shoppin'  or  ex- 
posin'  demselves  to  public  gaze." 

True  to  his  word,  when  they  reached  Edel- 
weiss late  that  afternoon  Sitzky,  their  friend 
of  uncertain  origin,  hurriedly  finished  his 
work  and  joined  the  travelers  in  the  station. 
Lorry  and  Anguish  were  deeply  interested  in 
all  they  saw,  the  strange  people,  the  queer 
buildings,  the  odd  costumes  and  the  air  of 


GRAUSTARK  117 

antiquity  that  prevailed.  Once  upon  the  nar- 
row, clean  street  they  saw  that  Edelweiss  was 
truly  a  city  of  the  mountain-side.  They  had 
expected  something  wonderful,  but  were  not 
prepared  for  what  they  found.  The  city 
actually  ran  up  into  the  clouds.  There  was 
something  so  grand,  so  improbable,  so  unusual 
in  the  spectacle  confronting  them  that  they 
stared  like  children,  aghast  and  stupefied. 
Each  had  the  startling  impression  that  a  great 
human-dotted  mountain  was  falling  over  upon 
his  head ;  it  was  impossible  to  subdue  the  sen- 
sation of  dizziness  that  the  toppling  town 
inspired. 

"I  know  how  you  feel,"  observed  Sitzky, 
laughing.  "I  was  just  d'  same  at  first.  To- 
morrow you  walk  a  little  ways  up  d'  side  of  d' 
mountain  an'  you'll  see  how  much  of  d'  city 
dere  is  on  level  ground  down  here.  Dem 
buildings  up  dere  ain't  more'n  one-fiftieth  part 
of  d'town.  Dey're  mostly  summer  homes.  It 
gets  hot  as  blazes  down  here  in  d'  valley  in 
d'rniddle  of  d'  summer  and  d'  rich  ones  move 
up  d'  mountain." 

"How  in  thunder  do  people  get  up  to  those 
houses?"  demanded  Anguish. 

"Mules,"  answered  Sitzky,  specifically. 
"Say!  See  dat  little  old  feller  comin'  on 


ii8  GRAUSTARK 

horseback — wid  d1  white  uniform?  Well,  dat's 
de  chief  of  police,  an'  d'  fellers  behind  him  are 
police  guards.  'At's  old  Dangloss  himself. 
He's  a  peach,  dey  say." 

A  short,  grizzly-faced  man,  attired  in  a  white 
uniform  with  red  trimmings,  followed  by  three 
men  similarly  garbed,  rode  by,  going  in  the 
direction  of  the  passenger  station.  Dangioss, 
as  Sitzky  had  called  him,  was  quite  small  in 
stature,  rather  stout,  gray-bearded  and  eagle- 
nosed.  His  face  was  keen  and  red,  and  not  at 
all  the  kind  to  invite  familiarity.  As  he 
passed  them  the  railroad  guard  of  American 
citizenship  touched  his  cap  and  the  two  travel- 
ers bowed,  whereupon  the  chief  of  police 
gave  them  a  most  profound  salutation,  fairly 
sweeping  his  saddleskirts  with  his  white  cap. 

" Polite  old  codger,"  observed  Anguish. 

"His  company  manners.  Just  let  him  get 
you  in  d'  sweat-box,  if  you  t'ink  he's  polite." 

"Ever  been  there?" 

"Well,"  a  little  confusedly,  "I  pasted  a 
Graustark  baggage-smasher  down  in  d'  yards 
two  weeks  ago,  an'  dey  had  me  up.  I  proved 
d'  feller  insulted  a  lady,  an*  old  Dangloss  let 
me  off,  sayin'  I'd  ought  to  have  a  medal. 
Dese  guys  are  great  on  gallantry  when  ladies 
is  concerned.  If  it  hadn't  been  fer  dat,  I'd  be 


GRAUSTARK  119 

in  d'  lock-up  now.  An'  say,  you  ought  to  see 
d'  lock-up!  It's  a  tower,  wid  dungeons  an*  all 
dat  sort  of  t'ing.  A  man  couldn't  no  more  get 
out  'n'  he  could  fly  up  to  d'  monastery. 
Dey're  great  on  law  an'  order  here,  too.  D' 
Princess  has  issued  strictest  kind  of  rules  an' 
everybody  has  to  live  up  to  'em  like  as  if  dey 
was  real  gospel.  I  fought  I'd  put  you  next, 
gents,  so's  you  wouldn't  be  doin'  anyt'ing 
crooked  here." 

"Thanks,"  said  Lorry,  drily.  "We  shall  try 
to  conduct  ourselves  discreetly  in  the  city." 

Probably  a  quarter  mile  farther  down  the 
narrow,  level  street  they  came  to  the  bazaars, 
the  gaudy  stores,  and  then  the  hotel.  It  was 
truly  a  hostelry  to  inspire  respect  and  admira- 
tion in  the  mind  of  such  as  Sitzky,  for  it  was 
huge  and  well  equipped  with  the  modern  ap- 
pointments. As  soon  as  the  two  Americans 
had  been  given  their  rooms,  they  sent  for  their 
luggage.  Then  they  went  out  to  the  broad  pi- 
azza, with  its  columns  and  marble  balustrades, 
and  looked  for  Sitzky,  remembering  their  invi- 
tation to  drink.  The  guard  had  refused  to  enter 
the  hotel  with  them,  urging  them  to  allow  him  to 
remain  on  the  piazza..  He  was  not  there  when 
they  returned,  but  they  soon  saw  him.  On  the 
sidewalk  he  was  arguing  with  a  white-uni- 


120  GRAUSTARK 

formed  police  guard,  and  they  realized  that  he 
had  been  ejected  from  sacred  precincts. 

They  promptly  rescued  him  from  the  officer, 
who  bowed  and  strode  away  as  soon  as  they 
interceded. 

"Dese  fellers  is  slick  enough  to  see  you  are 
swells  and  I'm  not,"  said  Sitzky,  not  a  bit 
annoyed  by  his  encounter.  "I'll  bet  my  head 
'at  inside  ten  minutes  old  Dangloss  will  know 
who  you  are,  where  you  come  from  an'  what 
you're  doin*  here." 

"I'll  bet  fifty  heads  he  won't  find  out  what 
we're  doing  here,"  grinned  Anguish,  looking 
at  Lorry.  "Well,  let's  hunt  up  the  thirst  de- 
partment. ' ' 

They  found  the  little  apartment  in  which 
drinks  were  served  at  tables,  and  before  they 
said  good-by  to  Sitzky  in  front  of  the  hotel,  a 
half  hour  later,  that  worthy  was  in  exceed- 
ing good  humor  and  very  much  flushed  in  the 
face.  He  said  he  would  be  back  in  two  days, 
and  if  they  needed  him  for  any  purpose  what- 
ever, they  could  reach  him  by  a  note  at  the 
railway  station." 

"Funny  how  you  run  across  an  American  in 
every  nook  and  corner  of  the  world,"  mused 
Lorry,  as  they  watched  the  stocky  ex-man-o'- 
warsman  stroll  off  towards  his  hotel. 


GRAUSTARK  121 

"If  we  can  run  across  the  tjuggenslockers  as 
easily,  we'll  be  in  luck.  When  shall  we  begin 
the  hunt?  To-night?" 

"We  can  make  a  few  inquiries  concerning 
them.  They  certainly  are  people  of  impor- 
tance here. ' ' 

"I  don't  see  the  name  on  any  of  the  brewery 
signs  around  town,"  observed  Anguish,  con- 
solingly. "There's  evidently  no  Guggen- 
slocker  here." 

They  strolled  through  the  streets  near  the 
hotel  until  after  six  o'clock,  wondering  at  the 
quaint  architecture,  the  pretty  gardens  and 
the  pastoral  atmosphere  that  enveloped  the 
city.  Everybody  was  busy,  contented,  quiet 
and  happy.  There  was  no  bustle  or  strife,  no 
rush,  no  beggars.  At  six  they  saw  hundreds 
of  workingmen  on  the  streets,  going  to  their 
homes;  shops  were  closed  and  there  came  to 
their  ears  the  distant  boom  of  cannon,  evi- 
dently fired  from  different  points  of  the  com- 
pass and  from  the  highland  as  well  as  the 
lowland. 

"The  toy  army  is  shooting  off  the  good-night 
guns,''  speculated  Anguish.  "I  suppose 
everybody  goes  to  bed  now. 

"Or  to  dinner,"  substituted  Lorry,  and 
they  returned  to  the  Regengetz.  The  dining 


122  GRAUSTARK 

hall  was  spacious  and  beautiful,  a  mixture  of 
the  oriental  and  the  mediaeval.  It  rapidly 
filled. 

"Who  the  dickens  can  all  these  people  be? 
They  look  well,"  Anguish  whispered,  as  if  he 
feared  their  nearest  neighbors  might  under- 
stand his  English. 

"They  are  unquestionably  of  the  class  in 
which  we  must  expect  to  find  the  Guggen- 
slockers." 

Before  the  meal  was  over  the  two  strangers 
saw  that  they  were  attracting  a  great  deal  of 
attention  from  the  other  guests  of  the  house. 
The  women,  as  well  as  the  men,  were  eyeing 
them  and  commenting  quite  freely,  it  was  easy 
to  see.  These  two  handsome,  smooth-faced 
young  Americans  were  as  men  from  another 
world,  so  utterly  unlike  their  companions  were 
they  in  personal  appearance.  They  were  taller, 
broader  and  more  powerfully  built  than  the 
swarthy-faced  men  about  them,  and  it  was  no 
wonder  that  the  women  allowed  admiration  to 
show  in  their  eyes.  Toward  the  end  of  the 
dinner  several  officers  came  in,  and  the 
Americans  took  particular  pains  to  study  them. 
They  were  cleanly-built  fellows,  about  medium 
height,  wiry  and  active.  As  a  class,  the  men 
appeared  to  average  five  feet  seven  inches  in 


GRAUSTARK  l«3 

height,  some  a  little  taller,  some  a  little 
shorter.  The  two  strangers  were  over  six  feet 
tall,  broad-shouldered  and  athletic.  They 
looked  like  giants  among  these  Graustark 
men. 

"They're  not  very  big,  but  they  look  as  if 
they'd  be  nasty  in  a  scrap,"  observed  Anguish, 
unconsciously  throwing  out  his  chest. 

' '  Strong  as  wildcats,  I'll  wager.  The  women 
are  perfect,  though.  Have  you  ever  seen  a 
smarter  set  of  women,  Harry?" 

'  *  Never,  never !  A  paradise  of  pretty  women. 
I  believe  I'll  take  out  naturalization  papers." 

When  the  two  strangers  left  the  dining-room 
they  were  conscious  that  every  eye  in  the 
place  was  upon  them.  They  drew  themselves 
to  their  full  height  and  strode  between  the 
tables  toward  the  door,  feeling  that  as  they 
were  on  exhibition  they  ought  to  appear  to  the 
best  advantage.  During  the  evening  they 
heard  frequent  allusions  to  "the  Americans," 
but  could  not  understand  what  was  said.  The 
hotel  men  were  more  than  obsequious;  the 
military  men  and  citizens  were  exceedingly 
deferential;  the  women  who  strolled  on  the 
piazza  or  in  the  great  garden  back  of  the  hotel 
were  discreetly  curious. 

"We  seem  to  be  the  whole  show  here,  Gren," 


124  GRAUSTARK 

said  Anguish,  as  they  sat  down  at  one  of  the 
tables  in  the  garden. 

"I  guess  Americans  are  rare." 

"I've  found  one  fellow  who  can  speak  Ger- 
man and  French,  and  not  one,  except  our  guard 
who  can  talk  English.  That  clerk  talks  Ger- 
man fairly  well.  I  never  heard  such  a  lan- 
guage -as  these  other  people  use.  Say,  old 
man,  we'd  better  make  inquiry  about  our 
friends  to-night.  That  clerk  probably  won't 
be  on  duty  to-morrow." 

"We'll  ask  him  before  we  go  to  bed,"  agreed 
Lorry,  and  upon  leaving  the  brilliantly  lighted 
garden  they  sought  the  landlord  and  asked 
if  he  could  tell  them  where  Caspar  Guggen- 
slocker  lived.  He  looked  politely  incredulous 
and  thoughtful,  and  then,  with  profound 
regret,  assured  them  he  had  never  heard  the 
name.  He  said  he  had  lived  in  Edelweiss  all 
his  life,  and  knew  everybody  of  consequence  in 
the  town. 

"Surely  there  must  be  such  people  here," 
cried  Lorry,  almost  appealingly.  He  felt  dis- 
heartened and  cheated.  Anguish  was  biting 
his  lips. 

"Oh,  possibly  among  the  poorer  classes.  If 
I  were  you,  sir,  I  should  call  on  Captain  Dan- 
gloss,  the  Chief  of  Police.  He  knows  every 


GRAUSTARK  125 

soul  in  Edelweiss.  I  am  positive  I  have  never 
heard  the  name.  You  will  find  the  Captain  at 
the  Tower  to-morrow  morning. ' ' 

The  two  Americans  went  to  bed,  one  so  dis- 
mayed by  his  disappointment  that  he  could  not 
sleep  for  hours. 


vn 

THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIAGE 

They  slept  rather  late  in  the  morning,  first 
because  they  were  very  much  fatigued  after 
their  long  journey,  second  for  the  reason  that 
they  had  been  unable  to  woo  slumber  until 
long  past  midnight. "  Anguish  stretched  him- 
self lazily  in  bed  when  he  heard  Lorry's  voice 
from  the  adjoining  room. 

"I  suppose  we  are  to  consult  the  police  in 
order  to  get  a  clue  to  your  charmer,"  he 
yawned.  "Nice  friends  you  pick  up  on  rail- 
way journeys.  I'd  be  ashamed." 

"Well,  Harry,  I'll  confess  I'm  disgusted. 
This  has  been  the  most  idiotic  thing  I've  ever 
done,  and  if  you  say  the  word  we'll  get  out  of 
here  on  the  first  train — freight  or  passenger. 

The  Guggenslockers — pigs "  Mr.  Lorry 

was  savage 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,  my  boy,  not  a  bit  of  it 
We'll  make  a  house-to-house  canvass  if  the 
police  fail  us.  Cheer  up,  cheer  up!" 

"You  go  to  thunder!" 

"Hold  on!  Don't  talk  like  that,  or  I'll  go 
u6 


THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIAGE       127 

back  on  you  in  a  minute.  I'm  here  because  I 
choose  to  be,  and  I've  more  heart  in  the  chase 
at  this  minute  than  you  have.  I'v-«j  not  lost 
hope.  We'll  find  the  Guggenslockers  if  we 
have  to  hire  detectives  to  trace  'em  from  the 
United  States  to  their  very  doorstep.  We're 
going  to  see  the  police  after  breakfast. " 

After  breakfast  they  did  go  to  see  the  Baron 
Dangloss.  After  some  inquiry  they  found  the 
gloomy,  foreboding  prison,  and  Mr.  Anguish 
boldly  pounded  on  the  huge  gates.  A  little 
shutter  flew  open,  and  a  man's  face  appeared. 
Evidently  he  asked  what  was  wanted,  but  he 
might  as  well  have  demanded  their  lives,  so 
far  were  they  from  understanding  his  query. 

"Baron  Dangloss?"  asked  Anguish,  promptly. 
The  man  asked  something  else,  but  as  the 
Americans  shook  their  heads  deprecatingly,  he 
withdrew  his  face  and  presently  swung  open 
the  gates.  They  entered  and  he  closed  the 
doors  behind  them,  locking  them  in.  Then 
he  directed  them  across  the  court  to  an  open 
door  in  the  aged  mass  of  gray  stone.  As  they 
strode  away  from  the  guard  Lorry  created 
consternation  by  demanding : 

"How  are  we  to  talk  to  the  Chief  if  he  doesn't 
understand  us  or  we  him?  We  should  have 
brought  an  interpreter." 


128  GRAUSTARK 

"I  forgot  about  the  confounded  language. 
But  if  he's  real  he  can  talk  Irish."  Lorry 
told  him  he  wasn't  funny. 

"Is  this  His  Excellency,  Baron  Dangloss?" 
asked  Anguish,  stepping  into  a  small  room  and 
stopping  suddenly  in  the  presence  of  the  short, 
fierce  man  they  had  seen  the  day  before.  The 
American  spoke  in  French. 

"It  is,  gentlemen.  Of  what  service  can  I  be 
to  Messieurs  Lorry  and  Anguish?"  responded 
the  grim  little  Chief,  politely  rising  from  beside 
his  desk.  The  visitors  looked  at  one  another 
in  surprise. 

"If  he  knows  our  names  on  such  short  notice, 
he'll  certainly  know  the  Guggenslockers, " 
said  Anguish  to  his  friend,  in  English. 

"Ah,  you  are  looking  for  some  one  named 
Guggenslocker?"  asked  the  Chief,  smiling 
broadly  and  speaking  excellent  English. 
"You  must  not  be  surprised,  gentlemen.  I 
speak  many  languages.  I  heard  last  night  that 
you  were  inquiring  about  one  Caspar  Guggen- 
slocker, and  I  have  racked  my  brain,  searched 
my  books,  questioned  my  officers,  and  I  am 
sorry  to  inform  you  that  there  is  no  such 
person  in  Edelweiss." 

"I  was  so  well  assured  of  it,  Baron  Dan- 
gloss."  Lorry  said. 


THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIA GE        \ * 9 

"The  name  is  totally  unknown  to  me,  sir. 
May  I  ask  why  you  are  searching  for  him?" 

"Certainly.  I  met  Mr.  Guggenslocker,  his 
wife  and  his  niece  last  spring  in  the  United 
States.  They  invited  me  to  come  and  see  them 
if  I  ever  happened  to  be  in  this  part  of  the 
world.  As  my  friend  and  I  were  near  here  I 
undertook  to  avail  myself  of  their  invitation." 

"And  they  said  they  lived  in  Edelweiss, 
Graustark?" 

"They  did,  and  I'll  humbly  confess  I  did  not 
knoTtt^much  of  the  principality  of  Graustark. ' ' 

"That  is  certainly  complimentary,  but,  then, 
we  are  a  little  out  of  the  beaten  path,  so  it 
is  pardonable.  I  was  at  first  under  the  im- 
pression that  you  were  American  detectives 
with  extradition  papers  for  criminals  bearing 
the  name  you  mention." 

"Oh!"  gasped  Anguish.  "We  couldn't  find 
ourselves  if  we  should  be  separated,  Captain. ' ' 

The  grizzly-bearded  Captain  laughed  lightly 
with  them,  and  then  asked  Lorry  if  he  would 
object  to  giving  him  the  full  story  of  his 
acquaintanceship  with  the  alleged  Graustark- 
ians.  The  bewildered  and  disheartened  Amer- 
ican promptly  told  all  he  knew  about  them, 
omitting  certain  tender  details,  of  course.  As 
he  proceeded  the  Chief  grew  more  and  more 


130  GRAUSTARK 

interested,  and,  when  at  last  Lorry  came  to  the 
description  of  the  strange  trio,  he  gave  a  sud- 
den start,  exposed  a  queer  little  smile  for  a 
second  or  so,  and  then  was  as  sphynxlike  as 
before.  The  ever-vigilant  Anguish  observed 
the  involuntary  start  and  smile,  quick  as  the 
Chief  had  been  to  recover  himself,  and  felt  a 
thrill  of  triumph.  To  his  anger  and  im- 
patience, however,  the  old  officer  calmly  shook 
his  head  at  the  end  of  the  narrative,  and 
announced  that  he  was  as  much  in  the  dark  as 
ever. 

"Well,  we'll  search  awhile  for  ourselves," 
declared  Anguish,  stubbornly,  not  at  all  satisfied. 

"You  will  be  wasting  your  time,"  said  the 
Chief,  meaningly. 

"We've  plenty  to  waste,"  retorted  the 
other. 

After  a  few  moments  they  departed,  Baron 
Dangloss  accompanying  them  to  the  gate  and 
assuring  them  that  he  and  his  men  always 
would  be  at  their  command.  His  nation  ad- 
mired the  American  people,  he  warmly  declared. 

"That  old  codger  knows  our  people,  and  I'll 
bet  a  thousand  on  it,"  said  Harry,  angrily, 
when  they  had  gone  some  little  distance  down 
the  street.  Then  he  told  of  the  queer  exposure 
Dangloss  had  unwittingly  made.  Lorry, 


THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIA GE        131 

more  excited  than  he  cared  to  show,  agreed 
that  there  was  something  very  suspicious 
about  this  new  discovery. 

They  walked  about  the  quaint  town  for  an 
hour  or  two,  examining  the  buildings,  the  peo- 
ple and  the  soldiery  with  deep  interest.  From 
the  head  of  the  main  street, — Castle  Avenue, — 
they  could  plainly  see  the  royal  palace,  nearly 
a  mile  away.  Its  towers  and  turrets,  gray  and 
gaunt,  ran  up  among  the  green  tree-tops  and 
were  outlined  plainly  against  the  yellow  hills. 
Countless  houses  studded  the  steep  mountain 
slope,  and  many  people  were  discerned  walking 
and  riding  along  the  narrow,  ledge-like  streets 
which  wound  toward  the  summit,  far  up  in  the 
clouds.  Clearly  and  distinctly  could  be  seen 
the  grim  monastery,  perched  at  the  very 
pinnacle  of  the  mountain,  several  miles  away. 
Up  there  it  looked  bleak  and  cold  and  uninvit- 
ing, in  great  contrast  to  the  loveliness  and 
warmth  of  the  valley.  Down  below  the  grass 
was  moist  and  soft,  trees  were  approaching  the 
stage  where  yellow  and  red  tints  mingle  with 
the  rich  green,  flowers  were  blooming,  the 
land  was  redolent  of  the  sweet  fragrance  of 
autumn,  the  atmosphere  warm,  clear  and  invig- 
orating. It  was  paradise  surmounted  by  deso- 
lation, drear  and  deadening. 


13  a  GRAUSTARK 

Wherever  the  tall,  distinguished  Americans 
walked  they  formed  the  center  of  observation, 
and  were  the  cause  of  comment  that  bore  un- 
mistakable signs  of  admiration.  They  bowed 
pleasantly  to  many  of  those  who  passed  them, 
and  received  in  return  gracious  and  profound 
recognition.  Military  men  saluted  courte- 
ously; the  women  stared  modestly  and  pret- 
tily— perhaps  covetously;  the  merchants  and 
citizens  in  general  bowed  and  smiled  a  welcome 
that  could  not  have  been  heartier.  The  stran- 
gers remarked  the  absence  of  vehicles  on  the 
main  streets.  There  were  pack  mules  and 
horses,  human  carriers — both  male  and  female 
— but  during  the  entire  morning  they  saw  not 
more  than  six  or  eight  carriages.  Vehicles  were 
used  solely  by  the  quality  and  as  a  means  of 
transportation  for  their  persons  only.  Every- 
body, with  the  few  exceptions  mentioned, 
walked  or  rode  horseback.  The  two  friends 
were  delighted  with  the  place,  and  Anguish 
advocated  a  sojourn  of  several  weeks,  even 
though  they  did  not  find  the  Guggenslockers, 
his  object  being  to  secure  photographs  and 
sketches  of  the  picturesque  people  and  the 
strange  scenery,  and  to  idle  away  some  hours 
upon  the  glittering  boulevards.  Grenfall,  since 
he  was  in  the  project  so  deeply,  was  so  nearly 


THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIAGE       133 

reconciled  as  to  be  exhilarated  by  the  plan. 
They  decided  to  visit  the  royal  grounds  in 
the  afternoon,  providing  there  was  no  prohibi- 
tion, reserving  a  ride  up  the  hill  for  the  next 
day.  A  gendarme  who  spoke  German  fairly 
well  told  them  that  they  could  enter  the  palace 
park  if  they  obtained  a  signed  order  from  the 
chief  steward,  who  might  be  found  at  any  time 
in  his  home  near  the  gates. 

They  were  strolling  leisurely  toward  the 
hotel,  for  the  moment  forgetting  their  quest  in 
this  strange,  sunny  land,  when  they  espied  a 
carriage,  the  most  conspicuous  of  any  they  had 
seen.  The  white  horses  were  gaily  capari- 
soned, the  driver  and  the  footman  beside 
him  wore  rich  uniforms,  the  vehicle  itself 
gleamed  and  glistened  with  gold  and  silver 
trimmings.  A  short  distance  behind  rode  two 
young  soldiers,  swords  to  their  shoulders,  scab- 
bards clanking  against  their  stirrups.  Each 
was  attired  in  the  tight  red  trousers,  shiny 
boots,  close-fitting  black  coat  with  gilt  trim- 
mings, and  the  red  cap  which  the  Americans 
had  noted  before  because  of  its  brilliancy. 
People  along  the  street  were  bowing  deeply  to 
the  occupants,  two  ladies. 

"Harry!  Look!"  exclaimed  Lorry,  clutch- 
ing his  friend's  arm  like  a  vise.  "There  in  the 


134  GRA  USTARK 

carriage — on  this  side!"     His  voice  was  hoarse 
and  trembling. 

"Miss  Gug — Guggenslocker?"  cried  Anguish. 

"Yes!  Yes!"  They  had  stopped  and  Lorry 
was  grasping  a  garden  wall  with  one  hand. 

"Then  it's  funny  nobody  knows  the  name 
here.  She  seems  to  be  someone  of  conse- 
quence. Good  heaven,  I  don't  blame  you! 
She's  the  most  beautiful " 

By  this  time  the  carriage  was  almost  oppo- 
site and  within  forty  feet  of  where  they  stood. 
The  ladies,  Miss  Guggenslocker's  companion 
as  young  and  almost  as  beautiful  as  herself 
had  not  observed  the  agitated  two,  but  Lorry's 
face  was  beaming,  his  hat  was  off,  and  he  was 
ready  to  spring  to  the  carriage  side  at  a  mo- 
ment's warning.  Then  the  young  girl  at  the 
side  of  the  woman  whose  beauty  had  drawn  a 
man  half  around  the  world  saw  the  tall 
strangers,  and  called  her  companion's  atten- 
tion to  them.  Once  more  Grenfall  Lorry  and 
Miss  Guggenslocker  were  looking  into  each 
other's  eyes. 

The  lady  started  violently,  her  eyes  grew 
wide,  her  lips  parted,  and  her  body  was  bent 
forward  eagerly,  a  little  gloved  hand  grasping 
the  side  of  the  open  carriage.  Her  "ideal 
American"  was  bowing  low,  as  was  the  tall 


THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIAGE       135 

fellow  at  his  side.  When  he  looked  up  again 
his  eyes  were  glowing,  his  handsome  face  was 
flushed,  and  he  saw  her  smile,  blush  furiously 
and  incline  her  head  gravely.  The  carriage 
had  swept  past,  but  she  turned  her  head,  and 
he  detected  an  appealing  glance  in  her  eyes,  a 
perplexed  wrinkle  across  her  brow,  both  of 
which  were  swept  away  an  instant  later  by  the 
most  bewitching  of  smiles.  Again  her  head 
was  inclined,  this  time  a  trifle  more  energetic- 
ally, and  then  the  maddening  face  was  turned 
from  him.  The  equipage  rolled  onward,  and 
there  was  no  effort  on  her  part  to  check  its 
progress.  The  men  were  left  standing  alone 
and  disappointed  on  the  streets  of  Edelweiss, 
the  object  of  their  search  slipping  away  as  soon 
as  she  had  been  found.  Her  companion  was 
amazed  by  the  little  scene,  it  was  evident, 
judging  by  the  eager  look  on  her  face  as  she 
turned  with  a  question  in  her  eyes. 

"Turned  down!"  exclaimed  the  irrepressible 
Anguish,  dolefully.  "That's  pretty  shabby 
treatment,  old  man.  But  she's  quite  worth 
the  journey." 

"I'll  not  go  back  to  America  without  her. 
Do  you  hear  that,  Harry  Anguish?"  He  was 
excited  and  trembling.  "But  why  didn't  she 
stop?"  he  went  on,  dismally. 


136  GRAUSTARK 

"Oh,  you  dear  old  fool!"  said  Anguish. 

The  two  stood  looking  after  the  carriage 
until  it  turned  into  a  side  street,  half  way  down 
the  shady  stretch  toward  the  castle.  They  saw 
her  companion  glance  back,  but  could  not  tell 
whether  she  did  or  not.  Lorry  looked  uneas- 
ily at  Anguish,  and  the  latter  read  his  thought. 

"You  are  wondering  about  the  Guggen- 
slocker  name,  eh?  I'll  tell  you  what  I've 
worked  out  during  the  past  two  minutes.  Her 
name  is  no  more  Guggenslocker  than  mine 
is.  She  and  the  uncle  used  that  name  as  a 
blind.  Mark  my  words,  she's  quality  over 
here;  that's  all  there  is  about  it.  Now,  we 
must  find  out  just  who  she  really  is.  Here 
comes  a  smart-looking  soldier  chap.  Let's  ask 
him,  providing  we  can  make  him  understand." 

A  young  soldier  approached,  leisurely  twirl- 
ing a  cane,  for  he  was  without  his  side  arms. 
Anguish  accosted  him  in  French  and  then  in 
German.  He  understood  the  latter  and  was 
very  polite. 

"Who  was  the  young  lady  in  the  carriage 
that  just  passed?"  asked  Lorry,  eagerly. 

The  face  of  the  soldier  flushed  and  then 
grew  pale  with  anger. 

' '  Hold  on !  I  beg  pardon,  but  we  are  strang- 
ers and  don't  quite  understand  your  ways.  I 


THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIAGE      «I37 

can't  see  anything  improper  in  asking  such  a 
question,"  said  Anguish,  attempting  to  detain 
him.  The  young  man  struck  his  hand  from 
his  arm  and  his  eyes  fairly  blazed. 

"You  must  learn  our  ways.  We  never  pass 
comment  on  a  lady.  If  you  do  so  in  your 
land,  I  am  sorry  for  your  ladies.  I  refuse  to 
be  questioned  by  you.  Stand  aside,  fellow!" 

Anguish  stood  aside  in  astonishment,  and 
they  watched  the  wrathful  gallant  strut  down 
the  street,  his  back  as  stiff  as  a  board. 

"Damned  touchy!"  growled  Anguish. 

"You  remember  what  Sitzky  said  about  their 
respect  for  the  weaker  sex.  I  guess  we'd  bet- 
ter keep  off  that  tack  or  we'll  hatch  up  a  duel 
or  two.  They  seem  to  be  fire-eaters.  We 
must  content  ourselves  with  searching  out  her 
home  and  without  assistance,  too.  I've  cooled 
off  a  bit,  Harry,  and,  now  that  I've  seen  her, 
I'm  willing  to  go  slowly  and  deliberately. 
Let's  take  our  time  and  be  perfectly  cool.  I 
am  beginning  to  agree  with  your  incog,  propo- 
sition. It's  all  clearing  up  in  my  mind  now. 
We'll  go  back  to  the  hotel  and  get  ready  for 
the  visit  to  the  palace  grounds." 

"Don't  you  intend  to  hunt  her  up?  'Gad,  I 
wouldn't  miss  a  minute  if  I  had  a  chance  to  be 
with  a  girl  like  that!  And  the  other  was  no 


1 38  GRA  USTARK 

scarecrow.  She  is  rather  a  beauty, too.  Greatest 
town  for  pretty  women  I  ever  struck.  Vienna 
is  out  of  it  entirely." 

They  strolled  on  to  the  hotel,  discussing 
the  encounter  in  all  its  exhilarating  details. 
Scarcely  had  they  seated  themselves  on  the 
piazza,  after  partaking  of  a  light  luncheon, 
when  a  man  came  galloping  up  to  the  walk  in 
front  of  the  hotel.  Throwing  his  bridle  rein 
to  a  guard,  he  hastened  to  the  piazza.  His 
attire  was  that  of  a  groom  and  something  about 
him  reminded  them  of  the  footman  who  sat 
beside  the  driver  of  the  carriage  they  had  seen 
a  short  time  before.  He  came  straight  to 
where  the  Americans  sat  smoking  and,  bowing 
low,  held  before  them  an  envelope.  The 
address  was  "Grenfall  Lorry  Esqre, "  but  the 
man  was  in  doubt  as  to  which  was  he. 

Lorry  grasped  the  envelope,  tore  it  open, 
and  drew  forth  a  daintily  written  note.  It  read : 

"My  Dear  Mr.  Lorry: 

"I  was  very  much  surprised  to  see  you  this 
morning — I  may  add  that  I  was  delighted.  If 
you  will  accompany  this  messenger  when  he 
calls  for  you  at  three  o'clock  to-morrow  after- 
noon, he  will  conduct  you  to  my  home,  where 
I  shall  truly  be  charmed  to  see  you  again. 
Will  you  bring  your  friend? 

"SOPHIA  GUOGENSLOCKER.  " 


THE  LADY  IN  THE  CARRIAGE       139 

Lorry  could  have  embraced  the  messenger. 
There  was  a  suspicion  of  breathlessness  in  his 
voice  when  he  tried  to  say  calmly  to  Harry: 

"An  invitation  for  to-morrow." 

"I  knew  it  would  come  that  way." 

"Also  wants  you  to  come." 

"Sha'n't  I  be  in  the  way?" 

"Not  at  all,  my  boy.  I'll  accept  for  you. 
After  this  fellow  goes,  I'll  let  you  read  the 
note.  Wait  until  I  write  an  answer. " 

Motioning  for  the  man  to  remain,  he  hast- 
ened to  his  room,  pulled  out  some  stationery, 
and  feverishly  wrote : 

"My  Dear  Miss  Guggenslocker: 

"I  shall  be  delighted  to  accompany  your 
messenger  to-morrow,  and  my  friend,  Mr. 
Harry  Anguish,  will  be  with  me.  I  have 
come  half  way  across  the  continent  to  see  you, 
and  I  shall  be  repaid  if  I  am  with  you  but  for 
a  moment.  You  will  pardon  me  if  I  say  that 
your  name  has  caused  me  despair.  No  one 
seems  to  have  heard  it  here,  and  I  was  begin- 
ning to  lose  hope.  You  may  expect  me  at 
three,  and  I  thank  you  for  the  pleasure  you 
bestow. 

"Yours  sincerely, 

"GRENFALL  LORRY." 

This  note,  part  of  which  had  been  written 
with  misgiving,  he  gave  to  the  messenger,  who 
rode  away  quickly. 


140  GRA  USTARK 

"She  didn't  wait  long  to  write  to  you,  1 
notice.  Is  it  possible  she  is  suffering  from  the 
effects  of  those  three  days  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Atlantic?  Come  to  think  of  it,  she  blushed 
when  she  saw  you  this  morning, ' '  said  Anguish. 
Lorry  handed  him  her  note,  which  he  read  and 
then  solemnly  shook  hands  with  its  recipient. 
"Congratulations.  I  am  a  very  far-sighted 
young  man,  having  lived  in  Paris." 


vni 

THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS 

That  afternoon  they  went  to  the  palace 
grounds  and  inquired  for  the  chief  steward. 
After  a  few  moments  they  were  shown  to  his 
office  in  a  small  dwelling  house  just  inside  the 
gates.  The  steward  was  a  red-faced  little 
man,  pleasant  and  accommodating.  He  could 
speak  German — in  fact,  he  was  a  German  by 
birth — and  they  had  no  difficulty  in  presenting 
their  request.  Mr.  Fraasch — Jacob  Fraasch — 
was  at  first  dubious,  but  their  frank,  eager 
faces  soon  gained  for  them  his  consent  to  see 
that  part  of  the  great  park  open  to  the  public. 
Beyond  certain  lines  they  were  not  to  trespass. 
Anguish  asked  how  they  could  be  expected  to 
distinguish  these  lines,  being  unacquainted, 
and  the  steward  grimly  informed  them  that  the 
members  of  the  royal  guard  would  establish 
the  lines  so  plainly  that  it  would  be  quite  clear. 

He   then   wrote   for  them     a     pass  to   the 

grounds  of  the    royal    palace   of   Graustark, 

affixing  his  seal.     In  giving  this  pass  to  them 

he  found  occasion  to  say  that  the  princess  had 

141 


142  GRA  USTARK 

instructed  him  to  extend  every  courtesy  pos- 
sible to  an  American  citizen.  It  was  then  that 
Anguish  asked  if  he  might  be  permitted  to  use 
his  camera.  There  was  an  instant  and  empha- 
tic refusal,  and  they  were  told  that  the  pass 
would  be  rescinded  if  they  did  not  leave  the 
camera  outside  the  gates.  Reluctantly  An- 
guish deposited  his  luckless  box  in  the  stew- 
ard's office,  and  they  passed  into  the  broad 
avenue  which  led  towards  the  palace. 

A  guard,  who  served  also  as  a  guide,  stepped 
to  their  side  before  they  had  taken  ten  paces. 
Where  he  came  from  they  never  knew,  so  in- 
stantaneous was  his  appearance.  He  remained 
with  them  during  the  two  hours  spent  in  the 
wonderful  park. 

The  palace  stood  in  the  northwestern  part  of 
the  grounds,  possibly  a  half  mile  from  the 
base  of  the  mountain.  Its  front  faced  the 
mountain  side.  The  visitors  were  not  permit- 
ted to  go  closer  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the 
structure,  but  attained  a  position  from  which 
it  could  be  seen  in  all  its  massive,  ancient 
splendor.  Anguish,  who  had  studied  churches 
and  old  structures,  painted  the  castles  on  the 
Rhine,  and  was  something  of  a  connoisseur  in 
architecture,  was  of  the  opinion  that  it  had 
been  standing  for  more  than  five  hundred 


THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS    143 

years.  It  was  a  vast,  mediaeval  mass  of  stone, 
covered  with  moss  and  ivy,  with  towers,  tur- 
rets and  battlements.  There  had  been  a  moat 
in  bygone  days,  but  modern  ideas  had  trans- 
formed the  waterway  into  solid,  level  ground. 
This  they  learned  afterwards.  Broad  avenues 
approached  in  several  directions,  the  castle 
standing  at  the  far  side  of  a  wide  circle  or 
parade  ground.  The  open  space  before  the 
balconies  was  fully  three  hundred  yards 
square,  and  was  paved.  From  each  side 
stretched  the  velvety  green  with  its  fountains, 
its  trees,  its  arbors,  its  flowers,  its  grottos 
and  its  red-legged  soldiers. 

The  park  was  probably  a  mile  square,  and 
was  surrounded  by  a  high  wall,  on  the  top  of 
which  were  little  guard-houses  and  several 
masked  cannon.  In  all  their  travels  the 
Americans  had  not  seen  a  more  delightful  bit 
of  artifice,  and  they  wandered  about  with 
a  serene  content  that  would  have  appealed 
to  anyone  but  their  voiceless  guide.  He 
led  them  about  the  place,  allowing  them  to 
form  their  own  conclusions,  draw  their  own 
inferences  and  make  their  own  calculations. 
His  only  acts  were  to  salute  the  guards  who 
passed  and  to  present  arms  when  he  had  con- 
ducted his  charges  to  the  edge  of  forbidden 


144  GRA  USTARK 

territory.  When  they  had  completed  their 
tour  of  inspection  their  guide  rapidly  led  the 
way  to  the  wall  that  encircled  the  grounds, 
reaching  it  at  a  point  not  far  from  the  castle 
itself.  Here  was  situated  another  large  gate, 
through  which  they  did  not  pass.  Instead, 
they  ascended  some  steps  and  came  out  upon 
the  high  wall.  The  top  of  this  wall  was  sev- 
eral feet  wide,  and  walking  was  comparatively 
safe.  They  soon  understood  the  guide's  design. 
The  object  was  to  walk  along  this  wall  until 
they  reached  the  main  gate.  Why  this  pecul- 
iar course  was  to  be  taken  they  could  not 
imagine  at  first.  Anguish's  fertile  brain  came 
to  the  rescue.  He  saw  a  number  of  women  in 
a  distant  part  of  the  grounds,  and,  remember- 
ing their  guide's  haste  in  conducting  them  to 
the  wall,  rightly  conjectured  that  it  was  against 
custom  for  visitors  to  meet  and  gaze  upon 
members  of  the  royal  household.  The  men 
and  women,  none  of  whom  could  be  plainly 
distinguished  from  the  far-away  wall,  were 
undoubtedly  a  part  of  the  castle's  family,  and 
were  not  to  be  subjected  to  the  curious  gaze 
of  sightseers.  Perhaps  Her  Royal  Highness,  the 
Princess  of  Graustark,  was  among  them. 

They  reached  the  main  gate  and  descended, 
Anguish  securing  his  camera,  after  which  they 


THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS     145 

thanked  the  steward  and  turned  to  fee  the 
guide.  But  he  had  disappeared  as  if  the 
ground  had  swallowed  him. 

"Well,  it's  a  fair  Versailles,"  observed  An- 
guish, as  they  walked  down  the  street,  glancing 
back  at  the  frowning  wall. 

"It  all  goes  to  make  me  wonder  why  in  the 
name  of  heaven  we  have  never  heard  of  this 
land  of  Graustark,"  said  Lorry,  still  thinking 
of  the  castle's  grandeur. 

"My  boy,  there  are  lots  of  things  we  don't 
know.  We're  too  busy.  Don't  you  remember 
that  but  one-half  the  world  knows  how  the 
other  half  lives?  I'll  wager  there  are  not 
twenty-five  people  in  the  United  States  who 
know  there  is  such  a  country  as  Graustark." 

"I  don't  believe  that  a  single  soul  over  there 
has  heard  of  the  place,"  vouchsafed  Lorry, 
very  truthfully. 

"I'll  accept  the  amendment,"  said  Anguish. 
Then  he  proceeded  to  take  a  snap-shot  of  the 
castle  from  the  middle  of  the  street.  He  also 
secured  a  number  of  views  of  the  mountain 
side,  of  some  odd  little  dwelling  houses,  and 
two  or  three  interesting  exposures  of  red-robed 
children.  Everybody,  from  the  children  up, 
wore  loose  robes,  some  red,  some  black,  some 
blue,  but  all  in  solid  colors.  Beneath  these 


146  CRA  USTARK 

robes  were  baggy  trousers  and  blouses  among 
the  men,  short  skirts  among  the  women.  All 
wore  low  boots  and  a  sort  of  turban.  These 
costumes,  of  course,  were  confined  to  the 
native  civilians.  At  the  hotel  the  garb  of  the 
aristocrats  was  vastly  different.  The  women 
were  gowned  after  the  latest  Viennese  pat- 
terns, and  the  men,  except  those  of  the 
army,  wore  clothes  almost  as  smart  as  those 
which  covered  the  Americans.  Miss  Guggen- 
slocker — or  whatever  her  name  might  be — and 
her  carriage  companion  were  as  exquisitely 
gowned  as  any  women  to  be  seen  on  the  boule- 
vards or  in  Hyde  Park  of  an  afternoon. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  they  re- 
turned to  the  hotel.  After  dinner,  during 
which  they  were  again  objects  of  interest, 
they  strolled  off  towards  the  castle,  smoking 
their  cigars  and  enjoying  the  glorious  air. 
Being  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land,  Lorry  acted 
on  the  romantic  painter's  advice  and  also 
stuck  a  revolver  in  his  pocket.  He  laughed  at 
the  suggestion  that  there  might  be  use  for  the 
weapon  in  such  a  quiet,  model,  well-regulated 
town,  but  Anguish  insisted: 

"I've  seen  a  lot  of  these  fellows  around  town 
who  look  like  genuine  brigands  and  cut- 
throats, and  I  think  it  just  as  well  that  we  be 


THE  A BD  UCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS    1 47 

prepared,"  asserted  he,  positively,  and  his 
friend  gratified  what  he  called  a  whim. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  slender  moon  dropped 
behind  the  mountain,  and  the  valley,  which 
had  been  touched  with  its  tender  light,  grad- 
ually took  on  the  somberness  and  stillness 
of  a  star-lit  night.  The  town  slumbered  at 
eleven,  and  there  were  few  lights  to  be 
seen  in  the  streets  or  in  the  houses.  Here 
and  there  strolled  the  white-uniformed  police 
guards ;  occasionally  soldiers  hurried  barracks- 
ward  ;  now  and  then  belated  citizens  moved 
through  the  dense  shadows  on  the  sidewalks, 
but  the  Americans  saw  still  life  in  its  reality. 
Returning  from  their  stroll  beside  the  castle- 
walls,  far  to  the  west  of  where  they  had  en- 
tered the  grounds  that  afternoon,  they  paused 
in  the  middle  of  Castle  Avenue,  near  the  main 
gate,  and  looked  down  the  dark,  deserted 
street.  Far  away  could  be  seen  the  faint  glare 
from  their  hotel;  one  or  two  street-lamps 
burned  in  the  business  part  of  the  city ;  aside 
from  these  evidences  of  life  there  was  nothing 
but  darkness,  silence,  peacefulness  about  them 
everywhere. 

"Think  of  Paris  or  New  York  at  eleven 
o'clock,"  said  Lorry,  a  trifle  awed  by  the 
solitude  of  the  sleeping  city. 


I4»  GRAUSTARK 

"It's  as  dead  as  a  piece  of  prairie-land," 
said  his  friend.  "  'Gad,  it  makes  me  sleepy 
to  look  down  that  street.  It's  a  mile  to 
the  hotel,  too,  Lorry.  We'd  better  move 
along." 

"Let's  lie  down  near  the  hedge,  smoke 
another  cigar  and  wait  till  midnight.  It  is  too 
glorious  a  night  to  be  lost  in  sleep,"  urged 
Lorry,  whose  heart  was  light  over  the  joys  of 
the  day  to  come.  "lean  dream  just  as  well 
here,  looking  at  that  dark  old  castle  with 
its  one  little  tower-light,  as  I  could  if  I 
tried  to  sleep  in  a  hard  bed  down  at  the 
hotel." 

Anguish,  who  was  more  or  less  of  a  dreamer 
himself,  consented,  and,  after  lighting  fresh 
cigars,  they  threw  themselves  on  the  soft,  dry 
grass  near  the  tall  hedge  that  fenced  the 
avenue  as  it  neared  the  castle  grounds.  For 
half  an  hour  they  talked  by  fits  and  starts; 
long  silences  were  common,  broken  only  by 
brief  phrases  which  seemed  so  to  disturb  the 
one  to  whom  they  were  addressed  that  he 
answered  gruffly  and  not  at  all  politely.  Their 
cigars,  burnt  to  mere  stubs,  were  thrown  away, 
and  still  the  waking  dreamers  stretched  them- 
selves in  the  almost  impenetrable  shade  of  the 
bedge,  one  thinking  of  the  face  he  had  seen, 


THE  A  BD  UCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS    1 49 

the  other  picturing  in  his  artist  eye  the  paint- 
ing he  had  vowed  to  create  from  the  moon-lit 
castle  of  an  hour  ago. 

"Some  one  coming,"  murmured  the  painter, 
half  rising  to  his  elbow  attentively. 

" Soldiers,"  said  the  other  briefly.  "They'll 
not  disturb  us." 

"They'll  not  even  see  us,  I  should  say.  It's 
as  dark  as  Egypt  under  this  hedge.  They'll 
pass  if  we  keep  quiet." 

The  figures  of  two  men  could  be  seen  ap- 
proaching from  the  city,  dim  and  ghostly  in 
the  semi-blackness  of  the  night.  Like  two 
thieves  the  Americans  waited  for  them  to  pass. 
To  their  exceeding  discomfiture,  however,  the 
pedestrians  halted  directly  in  front  of  their 
resting  place  and  seated  themselves  leisurely 
upon  a  broad,  flat  stone  at  the  roadside.  It 
was  too  dark  to  see  if  they  were  soldiers, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  they  were  less 
than  fifteen  feet  away. 

"He  should  be  here  at  twelve,"  said  one  of 
the  new  comers  in  a  low  voice  and  in  fairly 
good  English.  The  other  merely  grunted. 
There  was  a  silence  of  some  duration,  broken 
by  the  first  speaker. 

"If  this  job  fails  and  you  are  caught  it  will 
mean  years  of  servitude." 


i$o  CRAUSTARK 

"But  in  that  case  we  are  to  have  ten  thou- 
sand gavvos  apiece  for  each  year  we  lie  in 
prison.  It's  fair  pay — not  only  for  our  fail- 
ure, but  for  our  silence, ' '  said  the  other,  whose 
English  was  more  difficult  to  understand. 

Anguish's  fingers  gripped  Lorry's  leg,  but 
there  was  no  sound  from  either  of  the  thor- 
oughly aroused  dreamers.  "A  plot,  as  I 
live, ' '  thought  each,  with  a  thrill. 

"We  must  be  careful  to  speak  only  in  Eng- 
lish. There  are  not  twenty  people  in  Edelweiss 
who  understand  it,  but  the  night  has  ears.  It 
is  the  only  safe  tongue.  Geddos  speaks  it 
well.  He  should  be  here."  It  was  the  first 
speaker  who  uttered  these  words,  little  know- 
ing that  he  had  listeners  other  than  the  man  to 
whom  he  spoke. 

A  dark  figure  shot  across  the  roadway,  and, 
almost  before  the  Americans  were  aware  of  it, 
the  party  numbered  three. 

"Ah,  Geddos,  you  are  punctual." 

"I  have  found  it  ever  a  virtue."  responded 
the  newcomer. 

"Have  you  secured  your  men?" 

"I  have,  your " 

"Sh!  Call  me  Michael,  on  your  life!  They 
are  ready  and  willing  to  undertake  the  ven- 
ture?" 


THE  A BD  UCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS    151 

"Yes,  but  they  do  not  understand  the  true 
conditions.  I  have  told  them  that  we  are  to 
rob  the  castle  and  carry  the  booty  to  Ganlook 
before  morning." 

"They  do  not  know  the  real  object  of  the 
raid,  then.  That  is  as  I  desired.  Are  they 
trusty  and  experienced  men?" 

"The  best — or  the  worst — that  I  could  find 
in  Vienna.  Not  one  understands  our  lan- 
guage, and  they  are  so  ignorant  of  our  town 
that  they  are  entirely  dependent  on  me.  They 
know  nothing  whatever  of  the  Princess, 
Michael,  and  will  do  only  as  they  are  told, 
realizing  that  if  caught  they  will  be  guillotined. 
I  have  told  them  it  is  the  royal  palace  we  are 
to  rifle.  Ostrom,  here,  and  I  are  the  only 
on*s,  except  yourself  and  the  men  who  will 
aid  us  inside  the  castle,  who  know  the  truth, 
sir." 

"It  cannot  fail,  unless  those  inside  prove 
false  or  unworthy,"  said  the  hoarse-voiced 
Ostrom.  Anguish's  fingers  were  gripping 
Lorry's  leg  so  fiercely  that  the  blood  was  ready 
to  burst  out,  but  he  did  not  feel  the  pain. 
Herev  then,  was  some  gigantic  plot  in  which 
the  person  of  the  Princess  herself  was  to  be 
considered.  Was  it  an  assassination? 

"You  have  five  of  these  Viennese?" 


153  GRAUSTARK 

"Yes.  Two  to  stand  beneath  the  window 
to  receive  the  booty  as  we  lower  it  to  the 
ground,  one  to  stand  guard  at  the  west  gate 
and  two  to  attend  the  carriage  and  horses  in 
the  ravine  beyond  the  castle." 

"When  did  these  men  arrive?" 

"This  morning.  I  kept  them  in  my  sister's 
home  until  an  hour  ago.  They  are  now  in 
the  ravine,  awaiting  Ostrom  and  myself.  Are 
you  sure,  Michael,  that  the  guards  and  the 
cook  have  been  made  to  understand  every 
detail?  The  faintest  slip  will  mean  ruin." 

"They  are  to  be  trusted  fully.  Their  pay  is 
to  be  high  enough  to  make  it  an  object  to  be 
infallible.  The  guard,  Dushan,  will  leave  the 
gate  un  watched,  and  you  will  chloroform  him 
— with  his  consent,  of  course.  You  will  enter, 
as  I  have  explained  before,  crawl  along  in  the 
dark  shadow  of  the  wall  until  you  reach  the 
arbor  that  leads  to  the  kitchen  and  scullery. 
Here  another  guard,  Rabbo — known  to  Ostrom 
as  a  comrade  in  Her  Royal  Highness's  service 
not  more  than  a  year  ago — will  be  encountered. 
He  will  be  bound  and  gagged  without  the 
least  noise  or  struggle.  Just  as  the  clock 
strikes  two  the  cook  will  walk  past  the  scullery 
window,  in  the  basement,  thrice,  carrying  a 
lighted  candle.  You  will  see  this  light 


THE  ABD  UCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS    153 

through  the  window,  and  will  know  that  all  is 
well  inside  the  castle.  Ostrom,  you  will  then 
lead  the  two  Viennese  to  a  place  directly  beneath 
the  third  window  in  the  Princess's  sleeping 
apartment.  There  are  several  clumps  of 
shrubbery  there,  and  under  these  they  will 
hide,  protected  from  the  gaze  of  any  watch-, 
man  who  is  not  with  us.  You  and  Geddos  will 
be  admitted  to  the  scullery  by  the  cook,  who 
will  conduct  you  to  the  hall  leading  to  Her 
Highness 's  bed-room.  The  man  who  guards 
her  door  is  called  Dannox.  He  will  not  be  at 
his  post,  but  will  accompany  you  when  you 
leave  the  castle.  You  will  understand  how 
carefully  you  must  enter  her  room  and  how 
deeply  she  must  be  chloroformed.  In  the 
adjoining  room  her  lady-in-waiting,  the  Coun- 
tess Dagmar,  sleeps.  If  her  door  is  ajar,  you 
are  to  creep  in  and  chloroform  her,  leaving  her 
undisturbed.  Then  the  Princess  is  to  be 
wrapped  in  the  cloth  you  take  with  you  and 
lowered  from  the  window  to  the  men  below. 
They  are  to  remain  in  hiding  until  you  have 
left  the  castle  and  have  reached  their  side.  It 
will  not  be  difficult,  if  caution  is  observed,  for 
you  to  get  outside  of  the  wall  and  to  the  car- 
riage in  the  ravine.  I  have  given  you  this  plan 
of  action  before,  I  know,  but  I  desire  to  im- 


154  GRA  U STARK 

press  it  firmly  upon  your  minds.  There  must 
not  be  the  slightest  deviation.  The  precision 
of  clock-work  is  necessary." 

The  man  named  Michael  hissed  the  forego- 
ing into  the  ears  of  his  companions,  the  palsied 
Americans  hearing  every  word  distinctly. 
They  scarcely  breathed,  so  tremendous  was 
the  restraint  imposed  upon  their  nerves.  A 
crime  so  huge,  so  daring  as  the  abduction  of 
a  Princess,  the  actual  invasion  of  a  castle  to 
commit  the  theft  of  a  human  being  just  as  an 
ordinary  burglar  would  steal  in  and  make  way 
with  the  contents  of  a  silver  chest,  was  be- 
yond their  power  of  comprehension. 

"We  understand  fully  how  it  is  to  be  done, 
and  we  shall  get  her  to  Ganlook  on  time, ' '  said 
Geddos,  confidently. 

"Not  a  hair  of  her  head  must  be  harmed," 
cautioned  the  arch-conspirator.  "In  four  days 
I  shall  meet  you  at  Ganlook.  You  will  keep 
her  in  close  confinement  until  you  hear  from 
me.  Have  you  the  guard's  uniforms  that  you 
are  to  wear  to-night?" 

"They  are  with  the  carriage  in  the  ravine; 
Ostrom  and  I  will  don  them  before  going  to 
the  castle.  In  case  we  are  seen  they  will 
throw  observers  off  the  track  long  enough  for 
us  to  secure  a  good  start  in  our  flight. " 


THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS     155 

"Remember,  there  is  to  be  no  failure.  This 
may  mean  death  to  you;  certainly  a  long 
prison  term  if  you  are  apprehended.  I  know  it 
is  a  daring  deed,  but  it  is  just  of  the  kind  that 
succeeds.  Who  would  dream  that  mortal  man 
could  find  the  courage  to  steal  a  princess  of 
the  realm  from  her  bed  and  spirit  her  away 
from  under  the  very  noses  of  her  vaunted 
guardsmen?  It  is  the  bold,  the  impossible 
plan  that  wins. ' ' 

"We  cannot  fail  if  your  men  on  the  inside 
do  their  work  well,"  said  Geddos,  repeating 
what  Ostrom  had  said.  "All  depends  on  their 
faithfulness." 

"They  will  not  be  found  wanting.  Your 
cut-throats  must  be  sent  on  to  Caias  with  the 
empty  carriage  after  you  have  reached  Gan- 
look  in  safety.  You  will  need  them  no  more. 
Ostrom  will  pay  them,  and  they  are  to  leave 
the  country  as  quickly  as  possible.  At  Caias 
they  will  be  able  to  join  a  pack-train  that  will 
carry  them  to  the  Great  Northern  Railroad. 
From  there  they  will  have  no  trouble  in  reach- 
ing Vienna.  You  will  explain  to  them,  Ged- 
dos. All  we  need  them  for,  as  you  know,  is  to 
prove  by  their  mere  presence  in  case  of  cap- 
ture that  the  attempt  was  no  more  than  a  case 
of  burglary  conceived  by  a  band  of  Viennese 


1 56  GRAUSTARK 

robbers.  There  will  be  no  danger  of  capture  if 
you  once  get  her  outside  the  walls.  You  can  be 
half  way  to  Ganlook  before  she  is  missed  from 
the  castle.  Nor  can  she  be  found  at  Ganlook 
if  you  follow  the  instructions  I  gave  last 
night.  It  is  now  nearly  one  o'clock,  and  in 
half  an  hour  the  night  will  be  as  dark  as 
Erebus.  Go,  men ;  you  have  no  more  time  to 
lose,  for  this  must  be  accomplished  slowly, 
carefully,  deliberately.  There  must  be  no 
haste  until  you  are  ready  for  the  race  to  Gan- 
look. Go,  but  for  God's  sake,  do  not  harm 
her!  And  do  not  fail!" 

"Failure  means  more  to  us  than  to  you, 
Michael,"  half  whispered  the  hoarse  Ostrom. 

"Failure  means  everything  to  me!  I  must 
have  her!" 

Already  the  two  hirelings  were  moving  off 
toward  the  road  that  ran  west  of  the  castle 
grounds.  Michael  watched  them  for  a  mo- 
ment and  then  started  swiftly  in  the  direction 
of  the  city.  The  watchers  had  not  been  able 
to  distinguish  the  faces  of  the  conspirators,  but 
they  could  never  forget  the  calm,  cold  voice  of 
Michael,  with  its  quaint,  jerky  English. 

"What  shall  we  do?"  whispered  Anguish 
when  the  men  were  out  of  hearing. 

"God  knows!"   answered  Lorry.     "Thi*  is 


THE  ABD  UCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS     1 5 7 

the  most  damnable  thing  I  ever  heard  of. 
Are  we  dreaming?  Did  we  really  see  and  hear 
those  men?"  He  had  risen  to  his  feet,  his 
companion  sitting  weakly  before  him. 

"There's  no  question  about  it!  It's  a  case 
of  abduction,  and  we  have  it  in  our  power  to 
spoil  the  whole  job.  By  Gad,  but  this  is  luck, 
Gren!"  Anguish  was  quivering  with  excite- 
ment as  he  rose  to  his  feet.  "Shall  we  notify 
old  Dangloss  or  alarm  the  steward?  There's 
no  time  to  be  lost  if  we  want  to  trap  these  fel- 
lows. The  chief  devil  is  bound  to  escape,  for 
we  can't  get  him  and  the  others,  too,  and  they 
won't  peach  on  him.  Come,  we  must  be 
lively!  What  are  you  standing  there  for? 
Damn  it,  the  trap  must  be  set!" 

"Wait!  Why  not  do  the  whole  job  our- 
selves?" 

"How — what  do  you  mean?" 
"Why  should  we  alarm  anybody?  We  know 
the  plans  as  well  as  these  scoundrels  them- 
selves. Why  not  follow  them  right  into  the 
castle,  capture  them  red-handed,  and  then  do 
the  alarming?  I'm  in  for  saving  the  Princess 
of  Graustark  with  our  own  hands  and  right 
under  the  noses  of  her  vaunted  guardsmen,  as 
Michael  says."  Lorry  was  thrilled  by  the 
spirit  of  adventure.  His  hand  gripped  his 


158  GRA  USTARK 

friend's  arm  and  his  face  was  close  to  his  ear. 
"It  is  the  grandest  opportunity  two  human 
beings  ever  had  to  distinguish  themselves!" 

"Great  heaven,  man!  We  can't  do  such  a 
thing!"  gasped  Anguish. 

"It's  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world.  Be- 
sides, if  we  fail,  we  have  nothing  to  lose.  If 
we  succeed,  see  what  we've  done!  Don't  hesi- 
tate, old  man!  Come  on!  Come  on!  We'll 
take  'em  ourselves,  as  sure  as  fate.  Have  you 
no  nerve?  What  kind  of  an  American  are 
you?  This  chance  won't  come  in  ten  life- 
times! Good  God,  man,  are  we  not  equal  to 
those  two  scoundrels?" 

"Two?    There  are  at  least  ten  of  them!" 

"You  fool!  The  three  guards  are  disposed 
of  in  advance,  two  of  the  Viennese  are  left 
with  the  horses,  two  are  chucked  off  under 
the  princess*  window,  and  one  stands  at  the 
gate.  We  can  slug  the  man  at  the  gate,  the 
fellows  under  the  window  are  harmless,  and 
that  leaves  but  our  two  friends  and  the  cook. 
We  have  every  advantage  in  the  world.  Can't 
you  see?" 

"You  are  right!  Come  on!  I'll  risk  it  with 
you.  We  will  save  the  Princess  of  Graustark ! ' ' 

"Don't  you  see  it  will  be  just  as  easy  for  us 
to  enter  the  castle  as  for  these  robbers?  The 


THE  ABDUCTION  OF  A  PRINCESS     i$9 

way  will  be  clear,  and  will  be  kept  clear. 
Jove,  man,  we  need  not  be  more  than  thirty 
seconds  behind  them.  Is  your  pistol  all 
right?" 

By  this  time  the  two  men  were  speeding 
along  the  grassy  stretch  toward  the  road  that 
ran  beside  the  wall.  They  looked  to  their 
pistols,  and  placed  them  carefully  in  outside 
coat  pockets. 

' '  We  must  throw  away  these  heavy  canes, ' ' 
whispered  the  painter  to  his  friend,  who  was  a 
pace  or  so  ahead. 

"Keep  it!  We'll  need  one  of  them  to  crack 
that  fellow's  head  at  the  gate.  'Gad,  it's  dark 
along  here!" 

"How  the  devil  are  we  to  know  where  to 
go?" 

"We'll  stop  when  we  come  to  the  gate  where 
we  climbed  up  the  wall  to-day.  That  is  the  only 
entrance  I  saw  along  the  west  wall,  and  it  is 
near  the  castle.  Just  as  soon  as  the  gang  en- 
ters that  gate  we'll  crawl  up  and  get  rid  of  the 
fellow  who  stands  watch. ' ' 

It  was  so  dark  that  they  could  barely  see  the 
roadway,  and  they  found  it  necessary  to  cease 
talking  as  they  slunk  along  beside  the  wall. 
Occasionally  they  paused  to  listen,  fearing 
that  they  might  draw  too  close  upon  the  men 


160  GRA  USTARK 

who  had  gone  before.  At  last  they  came  to  a 
big  gate  and  halted. 

"Is  this  the  gate?"  whispered  Anguish. 

"Sh!  Yes,  I'm  quite  sure.  We  are  un- 
doubtedly near  the  castle,  judging  by  the  dis- 
tance we  have  come.  Let  us  cross  the  road 
and  lie  directly  opposite.  Be  careful!" 

Like  panthers  they  stole  across  the  road  and 
down  a  short,  grassy  embankment.  At  An- 
guish's suggestion  Lorry  wrapped  his  hand- 
kerchief tightly  about  the  heavy  end  of  his 
cane,  preparing  in  that  way  to  deaden  the  sound 
of  the  blow  that  was  to  fall  upon  the  Vienna 
man's  head.  Then  they  threw  aside  their 
hats,  buttoned  their  coats  tightly,  and  sank 
down  to  wait,  with  bounding  hearts  and  tingling 
nerves,  the  arrival  of  the  abductors,  mutely 
praying  that  they  were  at  the  right  gate. 


IX 


THE  EXPLOIT  OF  LORRY  AND  ANGUISH 

During  the  half  hour  spent  in  the  grassy 
ditch  or  gutter,  they  spoke  not  more  than  half 
a  dozen  times  and  in  the  faintest  of  whispers. 
They  could  hear  the  guard  pacing  the  drive- 
way inside  the  ponderous  gate,  but  aside  from 
his  footsteps  no  sound  was  distinguishable.  A 
sense  of  oppression  came  over  the  two  watch- 
ers as  the  minutes  grew  longer  and  more 
deathlike  in  their  stillness.  Each  found  him- 
self wondering  why  the  leaves  did  not  stir  in 
the  trees,  why  there  were  no  nightbirds,  no 
crickets,  no  croaking  frogs,  no  sign  of  life  save 
that  steady,  clocklike  tread  inside  the  wall. 
So  dark  was  it  that  the  wall  itself  was  but  a 
deeper  shadow  against  the  almost  opaque 
blackness  beyond.  No  night,  it  seemed  to 
them,  had  ever  been  so  dark,  so  still.  After 
the  oppression  came  the  strange  feeling  of 
dread,  the  result  of  an  enforced  contemplation 
of  the  affair  in  which  they  were  to  take  a  hand, 
ignorant  of  everything  except  the  general 
plan. 

161 


i6a  GRA  USTARK 

They  knew  nothing  of  the  surroundings.  If 
they  failed,  there  was  the  danger  of  being  shot 
by  the  guards  before  an  explanation  could  be 
made.  If  they  succeeded,  it  must  be  through 
sheer  good  fortune  and  not  through  prowess 
of  mind  or  muscle.  Once  inside  the  castle, 
how  could  they  hope  to  follow  the  abductors 
at  a  safe  distance  and  still  avoid  the  danger 
of  being  lost  or  of  running  into  trusty  guards? 
The  longer  they  lay  there  the  more  hazardous 
became  the  part  they  had  so  recklessly  ven- 
tured to  play.  In  the  heart  of  each  there 
surged  a  growing  desire  to  abandon  the  plan, 
yet  neither  could  bring  himself  to  the  point  of 
proposing  the  retreat  from  the  inspired  under- 
taking. Both  knew  the  sensible,  judicious  act 
would  be  to  alarm  the  guards  and  thus  avoid 
all  possible  chance  of  a  fiasco.  With  misgiv- 
ings and  doubts  in  their  hearts  the  two  self- 
appointed  guardians  of  the  Prirfcess  lay  there 
upon  the  grass,  afraid  to  give  up  the  project, 
yet  fearing  the  outcome. 

"The  dickens  will  be  to  pay,  Lorry,  if  they 
dispose  of  .this  guard  on  the  inside  and  lock  the 
gate.  Then  how  are  we  to  follow?"  whis- 
pered Anguish. 

Lorry  was  thoughtful  for  a  while.  He  felt 
the  chill  of  discouragement  in  his  heart. 


EXPLOIT  OF  LORRY  AND  ANGUISH  163 

"In  that  case  we  must  lie  outside  and  wait 
till  they  come  out  with  the  Princess.  Then 
make  a  sudden  assault  and  rescue  her.  In  the 
darkness  we  can  make  them  think  there  are  a 
dozen  rescuers,"  he  whispered  at  length. 
After  a  while  Anguish  asked  another  appalling 
question,  the  outgrowth  of  brain-racking 
study : 

"Suppose  these  fellows,  who  will  be  in 
guards'  uniform,  should  turn  about  and  cap- 
ture us.  What  then?  We  are  strangers,  and 
our  story  would  not  be  believed.  They  could 
slip  away  in  the  excitement  and  leave  us  in  a 
very  awkward  position." 

"Harry,  if  we  are  going  to  hatch  up  all  sorts 
of  possibilities,  let's  give  up  the  thing  right 
now.  I  have  thought  of  a  thousand  contin- 
gencies, and  I  realize  how  desperate  the  job  is 
to  be.  We  must  either  cast  discretion  to  the 
winds  or  we  must  retreat.  Which  shall  we  do?" 

"Cast  aside  discretion  and  hang  our  fears," 
said  the  other,  once  more  inspired.  ' '  We'll  take 
chances  and  hope  for  the  best.  If  we  see  we 
are  going  to  fail  we  can  then  call  for  the 
guards.  The  grounds  are  doubtless  full  of 
soldiers.  The  only  part  I'm  worried  about  is 
the  groping  through  that  strange,  dark  castle." 

"We  must  do  some  calculating  and  we  must 


164  GRA  USTARK 

stick  close  together.  By  watching  where  they 
station  the  two  Viennese  we  can  figure  about 
what  direction  we  must  take  to  get  to  the  Prin- 
cess's room.  Sh!  Isn't  that  some  one  ap- 
proaching?" 

They  strained  their  ears  for  a  moment  and 
then  involuntarily,  spasmodically  shook  hands, 
each  heaving  the  deep  breath  of  excitement. 
The  stealthy  rustle  of  moving  bodies  was 
heard,  faint,  but  positive.  It  was  a  moment 
of  suspense  that  would  have  strained  the  nerve 
of  a  stone  image.  Where  were  the  abductors? 
On  which  side  of  the  road  and  from  what 
direction  did  they  come?  Oh,  for  the  eyes  of 
a  cat! 

There  was  a  slight  shuffling  of  feet  near  the 
gate,  a  suppressed  "Sh!"  and  then  deathly 
silence.  The  gate  opened,  a  faint  creaking 
attesting  the  fact,  followed  by  the  heavy 
breathing  of  men,  the  noise  of  subdued  activ- 
ity, the  scent  of  chloroform.  Some  whisper- 
ing, and  then  the  creaking  of  the  gate. 

"They've  gone,"  whispered  Anguish.  Lor- 
ry's form  arose  to  a  crouching  posture  and  a 
moment  later  he  was  crossing  the  road  with 
the  tread  of  a  cat,  his  cane  gripped  firmly  in 
his  hand.  Anguish  followed  with  drawn 
revolver.  So  still  was  their  approach  that 


EXPLOIT  OF  LORRY  AND  ANGUISH  165 

they  were  upon  the  figure  of  a  man  before  they 
were  aware  of  the  fact.  In  the  darkness  the 
foremost  American  saw  the  outline  of  a 
human  figure  bending  over  a  long  object  on 
the  ground.  He  could  smell  chloroform 
strongly,  and  grasped  the  situation.  The 
Viennese  was  administering  the  drug,  his  com- 
panions having  left  that  duty  for  him  to  per- 
form. No  doubt  the  treacherous  guardsman 
was  lying  calmly  on  his  back,  bound  and 
gagged,  welcoming  unconsciousness  with  a 
smile  of  security. 

As  soon  as  Lorry  gained  his  bearings  fully 
he  prepared  to  fell  the  wretch  who  was  to 
stand  watch.  Anguish  heard  his  friend's  fig- 
ure suddenly  shoot  to  an  erect  position.  A 
whirring  sound  as  of  disturbed  air  and  then  a 
dull  thud.  Something  rolled  over  on  the 
ground,  and  all  was  still.  He  was  at  Lorry's 
side  in  an  instant. 

"I  hope  I  haven't  killed  him,"  whispered 
Lorry.  "Quick!  Here  is  his  bottle  of  ether. 
Hold  it  beneath  his  nose.  I  am  going  to  pile 
the  body  of  this  guard  crosswise  on  top  of  him. 
He  will  not  be  able  to  arise  if  he  should  re- 
cover consciousness." 

All  this  was  done  in  a  moment's  time,  and 
the  two  trackers  were  headed  for  the  entrance. 


1 66  GRAUSTARK 

The   gate  was  ajar  two  or  three  feet.     With 
turbulent  hearts,  they  stole  through. 

"Keep  along  the  wall,"  whispered  Lorry, 
"and  trust  to  luck.  The  castle  is  to  the  left. " 

Without  hesitation  they  crept  over  the  noise- 
less grass,  close  beside  the  wall.  Directly  they 
heard  sounds  near  at  hand.  The  abductors 
were  binding  and  chloroforming  the  guard  at 
the  arbor.  After  waiting  for  some  moments 
they  heard  the  party  glide  away  in  the  dark- 
ness, and  followed.  The  body  of  the  guard 
was  lying  just  outside  the  mouth  of  the  arbor, 
and  the  odor  of  chloroform  was  almost  over- 
powering. Once  inside  the  long  arbor,  the 
Americans  moved  slowly  and  with  greater 
caution.  There  was  a  dim  light  in  a  basement 
window  ahead.  Toward  the  front  of  the  castle 
and  in  the  second  story  a  faint  glow  came 
from  another  window.  They  guessed  it  to  be 
from  the  Princess'  room  or  from  that  of  the 
countess. 

At  last  they  saw  four  figures  steal  past  the 
dim  basement  light.  One  of  them  halted  near 
the  window,  and  three  crept  away  in  the  dark- 
ness. Presently  one  of  them  returned,  and  all 
activity  was  at  an  end  for  the  time  being. 
How  near  it  was  to  two  o'clock  the  watchers 
could  not  tell.  They  only  knew  that  they  were 


EXPLOIT  OF  LORRY  AND  ANGUISH  167 

within  twenty-five  feet  of  Geddos  and  Ostrom, 
and  that  they  would  not  have  long  to  wait. 

Soon  a  bright  little  blaze  of  light  crossed  the 
basement  opening.  Then  it  returned,  crossing 
a  second  time,  and  a  third.  All  was  still  again. 
The  soft  shuffle  of  a  foot,  the  rustle  of  arbor 
vines,  and  the  form  of  a  man  crawled  up  to 
the  window.  With  inconceivable  stealth  and 
carefulness  it  glided  through  the  aperture, 
followed  by  a  companion. 

Lorry  and  Anguish  were  at  the  opening  a 
second  or  two  later,  lying  flat  on  their  stomachs 
and  listening  for  sounds  from  within.  The 
dim  light  was  still  there,  the  window  was  open, 
and  there  was  a  sound  of  whispering.  Lorry 
raised  his  head  and  peered  through,  taking  cal- 
culations while  the  light  made  it  possible.  He 
saw  an  open  door  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
low  room,  with  steps  beyond,  leading  upward. 
Between  the  window  and  the  door  there  were 
no  obstacles.  Up  those  steps  he  saw  three 
men  creep,  the  leader  carrying  the  dim  light. 
The  door  was  left  open,  doubtless  to  afford 
unimpeded  exit  from  the  building  in  case  of 
emergency.  Harry  Anguish  touched  Lorry's 
arm. 

"I  took  the  two  pistols  from  that  Vienna 
man  out  there.  We  may  need  them.  Here  is 


i68  GRA  USTARK 

one  for  yourself.  Go  first,  Lorry,"  he  whis- 
pered. 

Lorry  stuck  the  revolver  in  his  coat  pocket 
and  gently  slid  through  the  window  to  the 
floor  below.  His  friend  followed,  and  they 
paused  to  listen.  Taking  Anguish  by  the 
hand  the  other  led  the  way  straight  to  the  spot 
where  he  remembered  seeing  the  door. 

Boldly  the  two  men  began  the  breathless 
ascent  of  the  stone  steps.  The  top  was  reached, 
and  far  ahead,  down  a  narrow  hall,  they  saw  the 
three  men  and  the  dim  light  moving.  Two  of 
them  wore  uniforms  of  guards.  Keeping  close 
to  the  wall  their  followers  crept  after  them.  Up 
another  flight  of  steps  they  went,  and  then 
through  a  spacious  hall.  The  Americans  had 
no  time  and  no  desire  to  inspect  their  surround- 
ings. The  wide  doors  at  the  far  side  of  the 
room  opened  softly,  and  here  the  trio  paused. 
Down  a  great  marble  hallway  a  dim  red  light 
shed  its  soft  glow.  It  came  from  the  lamp  at 
the  foot  of  the  broad  staircase. 

The  cook  pointed  to  the  steps,  and  then  gave 
his  thumb  a  jerk  toward  the  left.  Without  the 
least  sign  of  fear  Geddos  and  Ostrom  glided 
into  the  hall  and  made  for  the  staircase.  The 
watchers  could  not  but  feel  a  thrill  of  admira- 
tion for  these  daring  wretches.  But  now  a 


EXPLOIT  OF  LORRY  AND  ANGUISH  169 

new  danger  confronted  them.  The  cook  re- 
mained standing  in  the  doorway,  watching  his 
fellows  in  crime!  How  were  they  to  pass 
him? 

There  was  no  time  to  be  lost.  The  abduc- 
tors were  creeping  up  the  steps  already,  and 
the  cook  must  be  disposed  of.  He  had  blown 
out  the  light  which  he  carried,  and  was  now  a 
very  dim  shadow.  Lorry  glided  forward  and 
in  an  instant  stood  before  the  amazed  fellow, 
jamming  a  pistol  into  his  face. 

"A  sound  and  you  die!"  he  hissed. 

"Don't  move!"  came  another  whisper,  and 
a 'second  revolver  touched  his  ear.  The  cook, 
perhaps,  did  not  know  their  language,  but  he 
certainly  understood  its  meaning.  He  trem- 
bled, and  would  have  fallen  to  the  floor  had  not 
the  strong  hand  of  Lorry  pinned  him  to  the 
wall.  The  hand  was  on  his  throat,  too. 

"Chloroform  him,  Harry,  and  don't  let  him 
make  a  sound!"  whispered  the  owner  of  the 
hand.  Anguish's  twitching  fingers  succeeded 
those  of  his  friend  on  the  cook's  throat,  his  pis- 
tol was  returned  to  his  pocket,  and  the  little 
bottle  came  again  into  use. 

"I'll  go  ahead.  Follow  me  as  soon  as  you 
have  finished  this  fellow.  Be  careful,  'and  turn 
to  the  left  when  you  come  to  the  top." 


J70  GRAUSTARK 

Lorry  was  off  across  the  marble  floor,  headed 
for  the  stairway,  and  Anguish  was  left  in 
charge  of  the  cook,  of  whom  he  was  to  make 
short  work.  Now  came  the  desperate,  uncer- 
tain part  of  the  transaction.  Suppose  he  were 
to  meet  the  two  conspirators  at  the  head  of 
the  stairs,  or  in  the  hall,  or  that  the  other  trai- 
tor, Dannox,  should  appear  to  frustrate  all. 
It  was  the  most  trying  moment  in  the  whole 
life  of  the  reckless  Lorry. 

When  near  the  top  of  the  steps  he  hugged 
the  high  balustrade  and  cautiously  peered 
ahead.  He  found  himself  looking  down  a 
long  hall,  at  the  far  end  of  which,  to  his  right, 
a  dim  light  was  burning.  There  was  no 
sound  and  there  was  no  sign  of  the  two  men, 
either  to  the  right  or  to  the  left.  His  heart 
felt  like  lead!  They  evidently  had  entered 
the  Princess's  room!  How  was  he  to  find  that 
room?  Slowly  he  wriggled  across  the  broad, 
dark  hall,  straightening  up  in  the  shadow  of  a 
great  post.  From  this  point  he  edged  along 
the  wall  for  a  distance  of  ten  or  twelve  feet  to 
the  left.  A  sound  came  from  farther  down  the 
hall,  and  he  imagined  he  heard  some  one  ap- 
proaching. 

His  hand  came  in  contact  with  a  heavy 
hanging  or  tapestry,  and  he  quickly  squirmed 


EXPLOIT  OF  LORRY  AND  ANGUISH  171 

behind  its  folds,  finding  himself  against  a  door 
which  moved  as  his  body  touched  it.  He  felt 
it  swing  open  slightly  and  drew  back,  intend- 
ing to  return  to  the  hall,  uncertain  and  very 
much  undecided  as  to  the  course  to  pursue. 
His  revolver  was  in  his  hand.  Just  as  he  was 
about  to  pull  aside  the  curtain  a  man  glided 
past,  quickly  followed  by  another.  Providence 
had  kept  him  from  running  squarely  into  them. 
They  were  going  toward  the  left,  and  he 
realized  that  they  were  now  approaching  the 
Princess's  room.  How  he  came  to  be  ahead  of 
them  he  could  not  imagine.  Strange  trem- 
bling seized  his  legs,  so  great  was  the  relief 
after  the  narrow  escape.  Again  he  felt  the 
door  move  slightly  as  he  pressed  against  it. 
The  necessity  for  a  partial  recovery  of  his 
composure  before  the  next  and  most  important 
step,  impelled  him  softly  to  enter  the  room  for 
an  instant's  breath. 

Holding  to  the  door  he  stood  inside  and  drew 
himself  to  his  full  height,  taking  a  long  and 
tremulous  breath.  There  was  no  light  in  the 
room,  but  through  the  door  crack  to  his  left 
came  a  dim,  broad  streak.  He  now  knew 
where  he  was.  This  room  was  next  to  that  in 
which  the  Princess  slept,  for  had  he  not  seen 
the  light  from  her  window?  Perhaps  he  was 


i7«  GRAUSTARK 

now  In  the  room  of  the  Countess  Dagmar. 
Next  door!  Next  door!  Even  now  the  dar- 
ing Geddos  and  Ostrom  were  crawling  towards 
the  bed  of  the  ruler  of  Graustark,  not  twenty 
feet  away.  His  first  impulse  was  to  cross  and 
open  the  door  leading  to  the  next  room,  sur- 
mising that  it  would  be  unlocked,  but  he  re- 
membered Anguish,  who  was  doubtless,  by 
this  time,  stealing  up  the  stairs.  They  must 
not  be  separated,  for  it  would  require  two 
steady,  cool  heads  to  deal  with  the  villains. 
It  was  not  one  man's  work.  As  he  turned  to 
leave  the  room  he  thought  how  wonderfully 
well  they  had  succeeded  in  the  delicate  enter- 
prise so  far. 

His  knees  struck  the  door,  and  there  was  a 
dull  thump,  not  loud  in  reality,  but  like  the 
report  of  a  gun  to  him.  A  sudden  rustle  in 
the  darkness  of  the  room  and  then  a  sleepy 
voice,  soft  and  quick,  as  of  a  woman  awaken- 
ing with  a  start. 

4 'Who  is  it?" 

His  heart  ceased  beating,  his  body  grew  stiff 
and  immovable.  Again  the  voice,  a  touch  of 
alarm  in  it  now : 

4 '  Is  that  you,  Dannox  ? ' ' 

She  spoke  in  German,  and  the  voice  came 
from  somewhere  in  front  and  to  his  right.  He 


EXPLOIT  OF  LORRY  AND  ANGUISH  173 

could  not   answer,  could  not  move.     The  pa- 
ralysis of  indecision  was  upon  him. 

"How  is  it  that  the  outer  door  is^open?" 
This  time  there  was  something  like  a  repri- 
mand in  the  tones,  still  low.     He  almost  could 
see  the  wide-open,  searching  eyes. 


YETIVE 

There  could  be  no  further  hesitation.  Some- 
thing must  be  done  and  instantly.  He  gently 
closed  the  door  before  answering  the  third 
question.  In  his  nervousness  he  spoke  in 
English,  advancing  to  the  middle  of  the  room. 
Impossible  to  see  the  woman  to  whom  he 
hissed  this  alarming  threat — he  only  could 
speculate  as  to  its  effect: 

"If  you  utter  a  sound,  madam,  I  shall  kill 
you.  Be  calm,  and  allow  me  to  explain  my 
presence  here!" 

He  expected  her  to  shriek,  forgetting  that 
she  might  not  understand  his  words.  Instead 
there  was  a  deathly  silence.  Had  she  swooned? 
His  heart  was  leaping  with  hope.  But  she 
spoke  softly  again,  tremulously,  and  in  Eng- 
lish: 

"You  will  find  my  jewels  on  the  dressing 
table.  Take  them  and  go.  You  will  not  hurt 
me?" 

"I  am  not  here  to  do  you  injury,  but  to 
serve  your  Princess, ' '  whispered  the  man.  ' '  For 
174 


YETIVE  175 

God's  sake,  do  not  make  an  outcry.  You  will 
ruin  everything.  Will  you  let  me  explain?" 

"Go!  Go!  Take  anything!  I  can  be  calm 
no  longer.  Oh,  how  can  I  expect  mercy  at 
your  hands!"  Her  tones  were  rising  to  a  wail 
of  terror. 

"Sh!  Do  you  want  to  die?"  he  hissed,  strid- 
ing to  the  canopy  bed,  discernible  as  his  eyes 
grew  accustomed  to  the  darkness.  "I  will  kill 
you  if  you  utter  a  sound,  so  help  me  God!" 

"Oh!"  she  moaned. 

"Listen !     You  must  aid  me!  Do  you  hear?" 

Another  heart-breaking  moan.  "I  am  here 
to  save  the  Princess.  There  is  a  plot  to  abduct 
her  to-night.  Already  there  are  men  in  the 
castle,  perhaps  in  her  room.  You  must  tell  me 
where  she  sleeps.  There  is  no  time  to  be  lost. 
I  am  no  thief,  before  God !  I  am  telling  you 
the  truth.  Do  not  be  alarmed,  I  implore  you. 
Trust  me,  madam,  and  you  will  not  regret  it. 
Where  does  the  Princess  sleep?"  He  jerked 
out  these  eager,  pleading  words  quickly, 
breathlessly. 

"How  am  I  to  trust  you?"  came  back  a  whis- 
per from  the  bed. 

"Here  is  a  revolver!  Take  it  and  kill  me  if 
I  attempt  the  slightest  injury.  Where  are 
you?"  He  felt  along  the  bed  with  his  hand. 


176  GRAUSTARK 

"Keep  away!  Please!  Please!"  she 
sobbed. 

"Take  the  pistol!  Be  calm,  and  in  heaven's 
name  help  me  to  save  her.  Those  wretches 
may  have  killed  her  already!" 

The  revolver  dropped  upon  the  clothes.  He 
was  bending  eagerly  over,  holding  the  curtains 
back. 

"My  friend  is  in  the  hall.  We  have  traced 
the  men  to  the  Princess's  door,  I  think.  My 
God,  be  quick !  Do  you  wish  to  see  her  stolen 
from  under  your  eyes?" 

"You  are  now  in  the  Princess's  room," 
answered  the  voice  from  the  bed,  calmer  and 
with  some  alacrity.  "Is  this  true  that  you  tell 
me?" 

"As  God  is  my  witness!  And  you — you — 
are  you  the  Princess?"  gasped  the  man,  draw- 
ing back. 

"I  am.  Where  is  Dannox?"  She  was  sit- 
ting bolt  upright  in  the  bed,  the  pistol  in  her 
trembling  fingers. 

"He  is  one  of  the  conspirators.  One  of  the 
cooks  and  two  other  guards  are  in  the  plot. 
Can  you  trust  me  enough  to  leave  your  bed  and 
hide  in  another  part  of  the  room?  The  scoun- 
drels have  mistaken  the  door,  but  they  may  be 
here  at  any  moment.  You  must  be  quick! 


YETIVE  177 

I  will  protect  you — I  swear  it!  Come,  your 
Highness!  Hide!" 

Something  in  the  fierce,  anxious  whisper 
gave  her  confidence.  The  miracle  had  been 
wrought !  He  had  composed  this  woman  under 
the  most  trying  circumstances  that  could  have 
been  imagined.  She  slipped  from  the  bed  and 
threw  a  long,  loose  silken  gown  about  her. 

"Who  are  you?"  she  asked,  touching  his  arm. 

"I  am  a  foreigner — an  American — Grenfall 
Lorry!  Hurry!"  he  implored. 

.She  did  not  move  for  a  moment,  but  he  dis- 
tinctly heard  her  catch  her  breath. 

"Am  I  dreaming?"  she  murmured,  faintly. 
Her  fingers  now  clutched  his  arm  tightly. 

"I  should  say  not!  I  don't  like  to  order  you 
around,  your  Highness,  but. " 

"Come — come  to  the  light!'  she  interrupted, 
excitedly.  * '  Over  here ! ' ' 

Noiselessly  she  drew  him  across  the  room 
until  the  light  fell  across  his  face.  It  was  not 
a  bright  light,  but  what  she  saw  satisfied  her. 
He  could  not  see  her  face,  for  she  stood  outside 
the  strip  of  dusky  yellow. 

"Two  men  lie  beneath  your  window,  and 
two  are  coming  to  this  room.  Where  shall  I 
go?  Come,  be  quick,  madam !  Do  you  want 
to  be  carted  off  to  Ganlook?  Then  don't  stand 


178  GRAUSTARK 

there  like  a — like  a — pardon  me,  I  won't  say 
it!" 

"I  trust  you  fully.  Shall  I  alarm  the  guard?" 
she  whispered,  recovering  her  self-possession. 

"By  no  means!  I  want  to  catch  those  devils 
myself.  Afterwards  we  can  alarm  the 
guards!" 

"An  ideal  American!"  she  surprised  him  by 
saying.  "Follow  me!" 

She  led  him  to  the  doorway.  "Stand  here, 
and  I  will  call  the  Countess.  At  this  side, 
where  it  is  dark." 

She  opened  the  door  gently  and  stood  in  the 
light  for  a  second.  He  saw  before  him  a  grace- 
ful figure  in  trailing  white,  and  then  he  saw 
her  face.  She  was  Miss  Guggenslocker ! 

"My  God!"  he  hoarsely  gasped,  staggering 
toward  her.  "You!  You!  The  Princess?" 

"Yes,  I  am  the  Princess,"  she  whispered, 
smiling  as  she  glided  away  from  his  side.  His 
eyes  went  round  in  his  head,  his  legs  seemed 
to  be  anywhere  but  beneath  him,  he  felt  as 
though  he  were  rushing  toward  the  ceiling. 
For  the  moment  he  was  actually  unconscious. 
Then  his  senses  rushed  back,  recalling  his  mis- 
sion and  his  danger. 

"She  is  sleeping  so  soundly  that  I  fear  to 
awaken  her,"  whispered  a  soft  voice  at  his 


YETIVE  179 

back,  and  he  turned.  The  Princess  was 
standing  in  the  doorway. 

"Then  pray  stand  back  where  you  will  be 
out  of  danger.  They  will  be  here  in  a  mo- 
ment, unless  they  have  been  frightened  away. " 

"You  shall  not  expose  yourself,"  she  said, 
positively.  "Why  should  you  risk  your  life 
now?  You  have  accomplished  your  object. 
You  have  saved  the  Princess!" 

"Ah — yes,  the  Princess!"  he  said.  "And  I 
am  sorry  you  are  the  Princess,"  he  added,  in 
her  ear. 

"Sh!"  she  whispered,  softly. 

The  door  through  which  he  had  first  come 
was  softly  opened,  and  they  were  conscious 
that  some  one  was  entering.  Lorry  and  the 
Princess  stood  in  the  dark  shadow  of  a  curtain, 
she  close  behind  his  stalwart  figure.  He  could 
hear  his  own  heart  and  hers  beating,  could  feel 
the  warmth  of  her  body,  although  it  did  not 
touch  his.  His  heart  beat  with  the  pride  of 
possession,  of  power,  with  the  knowledge  that 
he  had  but  to  stretch  out  his  hand  and  touch 
the  one  woman  in  all  the  world. 

Across  the  dim  belt  of  light  from  the  open 
doorway  in  which  they  stood,  crawled  the 
dark  figure  of  a  man.  Her  hand  unconsciously 
touched  his  back  as  if  seeking  reassurance. 


i8o  GRA  USTARK 

He  shivered  beneath  its  gentle  weight. 
Another  form  followed  the  first,  pausing  in  the 
light  to  look  toward  their  doorway.  The  ab- 
ductor was  doubtless  remembering  the  instruc- 
tions to  chloroform  the  Countess.  Then  came 
the  odor  of  chloroform.  Oh,  if  Anguish  were 
only  there ! 

The  second  figure  was  lost  in  the  darkness 
and  a  faint  glow  of  light  came  from  the  can- 
opied bed  in  the  corner.  The  chloroformer 
holding  the  curtains  had  turned  his  screen- 
lantern  toward  the  pillow  in  order  to  apply 
the  dampened  cloth.  Now  was  the  time  to  act ! 

Pushing  the  Princess  behind  the  curtain  and 
in  the  shelter  of  the  door-post,  Lorry  leaped 
toward  the  center  of  the  room,  a  pistol  in  each 
hand.  Before  him  crouched  the  astonished 
desperadoes. 

"If  you  move  you  are  dead  men!"  said  he, 
in  slow  decided  tones.  "Here,  Harry!"  he 
shouted.  "Scoundrels,  you  are  trapped!  Throw 
up  your  hands!" 

Suddenly  the  room  was  a  blaze  of  light; 
flashing  candles,  lamps,  sprung  into  life  from 
the  walls,  while  a  great  chandelier  above  his 
head  dazzled  him  with  its  unexpected  glare. 

"Hell!"  he  shouted,  half  throwing  his  hands 
to  his  eyes. 


YETIVE  181 

Something  rushed  upon  him  from  behind; 
there  was  a  scream  and  then  a  stinging  blow 
across  the  head  and  neck.  As  he  sank  help- 
lessly, angrily,  to  his  knees  he  heard  the 
Princess  wail : 

"Dannox!  Do  not  strike  again!  You  have 
killed  him!" 

As  he  rolled  to  the  floor  he  saw  the  two 
forms  near  the  bed  moving  about  like  shadows ; 
two  red  objects  that  resembled  dancing  tele- 
graph poles  leaped  past  him  from  he  knew  not 
where,  and  then  there  was  a  shout,  the  report 
of  a  pistol,  a  horrid  yell.  Something  heavy 
crashed  down  beside  him  and  writhed.  His 
eyes  were  closing,  his  senses  were  going,  he 
was  numb  and  sleepy.  Away  off  in  the  dis- 
tance he  heard  Harry  Anguish  crying: 

"That  settles  you,  damn  you!" 

Some  one  lifted  his  head  from  the  carpet  and 
a  woman's  voice  was  crying  something  unin- 
telligible. He  was  conscious  of  an  effort  on 
his  part  to  prevent  the  blood  from  streaming 
over  her  gown — a  last  bit  of  gallantry.  The 
sound  of  rushing  feet,  shouts,  firearms — 
oblivion ! 

When  Lorry  regained  consciousness  he 
blinked  in  abject  amazement.  There  was  a 


i8a  GRAUSTARK 

dull,  whirring  sound  in  his  ears,  and  his  eyes 
had  a  glaze  over  them  that  was  slow  in  wear- 
ing off.  There  were  persons  in  the  room.  He 
could  see  them  moving  about  and  could  hear 
them  talking.  As  his  eyes  tried  to  take  in  the 
strange  surroundings,  a  hand  was  lifted  from 
his  forehead  and  a  soft,  dream-like  voice  said : 

"He  is  recovering,  Mr.  Anguish.  See,  his 
eyes  are  open!  Do  you  know  me,  Mr.  Lorry?" 

The  unsteady  eyes  wandered  until  they 
fell  upon  the  face  near  his  pillow.  A 
brighter  gleam  came  into  them,  and  there  was 
a  ray  of  returning  intelligence.  He  tried  to 
speak,  but  could  only  move  his  lips.  As  he 
remembered  her,  she  was  in  white,  and  he  was 
puzzled  now  to  see  her  in  a  garment  of  some 
dark  material,  suggestive  of  the  night  or  the 
green  of  a  shady  hillside.  There  was  the  odor 
of  roses  and  violets  and  carnations.  Then  he 
looked  for  the  fatal,  fearful,  glaring  chandelier. 
It  was  gone.  The  room  was  becoming  lighter 
and  lighter  as  his  eyes  grew  stronger,  but  it 
was  through  a  window  near  where  he  lay.  So 
it  was  daylight!  Where  was  he? 

"How  do  you  feel,  old  man?"  asked  a  famil- 
iar voice.  A  man  sat  down  beside  him  on  the 
couch  or  bed,  and  a  big  hand  grasped  his  own. 
Still  he  could  not  answer. 


YETIVE  183 

"Doctor,"  cried  the  voice  near  his  head, 
"you  really  think  it  is  not  serious?" 

"I  am  quite  sure,"  answered  a  man's  voice 
from  somewhere  out  in  the  light.  "It  is  a  bad 
cut,  and  he  is  just  recovering  from  the  effect 
of  the  ether.  Had  the  blow  not  been  a  glanc- 
ing one  his  skull  would  have  been  crushed. 
He  will  be  perfectly  conscious  in  a  short  time. 
There  is  no  concussion,  your  Highness." 

"I  am  so  happy  to  hear  you  say  that,"  said 
the  soft  voice.  Lorry's  eyes  sought  hers  and 
thanked  her.  A  lump  came  into  his  throat  as 
he  looked  up  into  the  tender,  anxious  blue 
eyes.  A  thrill  came  over  him.  Princess  or 
not,  he  loved  her — he  loved  her!  "You  were 
very  brave — oh,  so  brave!"  she  whispered  in 
his  ear,  her  hand  touching  his  hair  caressingly. 
"My  American!" 

He  tried  to  reach  the  hand  before  it  faded, 
but  he  was  too  weak.  She  glided  away,  and 
he  closed  his  eyes  again  as  if  in  pain. 

"Look  up,  old  man;  you're  all  right,"  said 
Anguish.  "Smell  this  handkerchief.  It  will 
make  you  feel  better."  A  moist  cloth  was 
held  beneath  his  nose,  and  a  strong,  pungent 
odor  darted  through  his  nostrils.  In  a  mo- 
ment he  tried  to  raise  himself  to  his  elbow. 
The  world  was  clearing  up. 


1 84  GRAUSTARK 

"Lie  still  a  bit,  Lorry.  Don't  be  too  hasty. 
The  doctor  says  you  must  not." 

"Where  am  I,  Harry?"  asked  the  wounded 
man,  weakly. 

"In  the  castle.  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it 
presently. ' ' 

"Am  I  in  her  room?" 

"No,  but  she  is  in  yours.  You  are  across 
the  hall  in"— here  he  whispered — "Uncle 
Caspar's  room.  Caspar  is  a  Count. '  * 

"And  she  is  the  Princess — truly?" 

"What  luck!" 

"What  misery — what  misery!"  half  moaned 
the  other. 

"Bosh!  Be  a  man!  Don't  talk  so  loud, 
either !  There  are  a  half-dozen  in  the  room. ' ' 

Lorry  remained  perfectly  quiet  for  ten  min- 
utes, his  staring  eyes  fixed  on  the  ceiling.  He 
was  thinking  of  the  abyss  he  had  reached  and 
could  not  cross. 

"What  time  is  it?"  he  asked  at  last,  turning 
his  eyes  toward  his  friend. 

"It's  just  seven  o'clock.  You  have  been  un- 
conscious o'r  under  the  influence  of  ether  for 
over  four  hours.  That  guard  hit  you  a  fear- 
ful crack." 

"I  heard  a  shot — a  lot  of  them.  Was  any 
one  killed?  Did  those  fellows  escape?" 


YETIVE  185 

"Killed!  There  have  been  eight  executions 
besides  the  one  I  attended  to.  Lord,  they  don't 
wait  long  here  before  handing  out  justice." 

"Tell  me  all  that  happened.    Was  she  hurt?" 

"I  should  say  not!  Say,  Gren,  I  have  killed 
a  man.  Dannox  got  my  bullet  right  in  the 
head  and  he  never  knew  what  hit  him. 
Ghastly,  isn't  it?  I  feel  beastly  queer.  It  was 
he  who  turned  on  the  lights  and  went  at  you 
with  a  club.  I  heard  you  call,  and  was  in  the 
door  just  as  he  hit  you.  His  finish  came  in- 
side of  a  second.  You  and  he  spoiled  the 
handsomest  rug  I  ever  saw." 

"Ruined  it?" 

"Not  in  her  estimation.  I'll  wager  she  has  it 
framed,  blood  and  all.  The  stains  will  always 
be  there  as  a  reminder  of  your  bravery,  and 
that's  what  she  says  she's  bound  to  keep.  She 
was  very  much  excited  and  alarmed  about  you 
until  the  room  filled  with  men  and  then  she 
remembered  how  she  was  attired.  I  never 
saw  anything  so  pretty  as  her  embarrassment 
when  the  Countess  and  her  aunt  led  her  into 
the  next  room.  These  people  are  going  out, 
so  I'll  tell  you  what  happened  after  you  left 
me  with  the  cook.  He  was  a  long  time  falling 
under  the  influence,  and  I  had  barely  reached 
the  top  of  the  stairs  when  I  saw  Dannox  rush 


186  GRA  USTARK 

down  the  hall.  Then  you  called,  and  I  knew 
the  jig  was  on  in  full  blast.  The  door  was 
open,  and  I  saw  him  strike  you.  I  shot  him, 
but  she  was  at  your  side  before  I  could  get  to 
you.  The  other  fellows  who  were  in  the  room 
succeeded  in  escaping  while  I  was  bending 
over  you,  but  neither  of  them  shot  at  me. 
They  were  too  badly  frightened.  I  had  sense 
enough  left  to  follow  and  shoot  a  couple  of 
times  as  they  tore  down  the  stairs.  One  of 
them  stumbled  and  rolled  all  the  way  to  the 
bottom.  He  was  unconscious  and  bleeding 
when  I  reached  his  side.  The  other  fellow  flew 
toward  the  dining-hall,  where  he  was  nabbed 
by  two  white  uniformed  men  and  throttled. 
Other  men  in  white — they  were  regular  police 
officers — pounced  upon  me,  and  I  was  a  prisoner. 
By  George,  I  was  knocked  off  my  feet  the 
next  minute  to  see  old  Dangloss  himself  come 
puffing  and  blowing  into  the  hall,  redder  and 
fiercer  than  ever.  'Now  I  know  what  you 
want  in  Edelweiss!'  he  shrieked,  and  it  took 
me  three  minutes  to  convince  him  of  his  error. 
Then  he  and  some  of  the  men  went  up  to  the 
Princess'  room,  while  I  quickly  led  the  way  to 
the  big  gate  and  directed  a  half-dozen  officers 
toward  the  ravine.  By  this  time  the  grounds 
were  alive  with  guards.  They  came  up  finally 


YETIVE  187 

with  the  two  fellows  who  had  been  stationed 
beneath  the  window  and  who  were  unable  to 
find  the  gate.  When  I  got  back  to  where  you 
were  the  room  was  full  of  terrified  men  and 
women,  half  dressed.  I  was  still  dazed  over 
the  sudden  appearance  of  the  police,  but  man- 
aged to  tell  my  story  in  full  to  Dangloss  and 
Count  Halfont — that's  Uncle  Caspar — and  then 
the  chief  told  me  how  he  and  his  men  hap- 
pened to  be  there.  In  the  meantime,  the 
castle  physician  was  attending  to  you.  Dan- 
nox  had  been  carried  away.  I  never  talked 
to  a  more  interested  audience  in  my  life! 
There  was  the  Princess  at  my  elbow  and  the 
Countess — pretty  as  a  picture — back  of  her, 
all  eyes,  both  of  'em ;  and  there  was  the  old 
gray-haired  lady,  the  Countess  Halfont,  and  a 
half-dozen  shivering  maids,  with  men  galore, 
Dangloss  and  the  Count  and  a  lot  of  servants, 
— a  great  and  increasing  crowd.  The  captain 
of  the  guards,  a  young  fellow  named  Quinnox, 
as  I  heard  him  called,  came  in,  worried  and 
humiliated.  I  fancy  he  was  afraid  he'd  lose 
his  job.  You  see,  it  was  this  way:  Old  Dan- 
gloss  has  had  a  man  watching  us  all  day. 
Think  of  it!  Shadowing  us  like  a  couple  of 
thieves.  This  fellow  traced  us  to  the  castle 
gate  and  then  ran  back  for  reinforcements, 


1 88  GRAUSTARK 

confident  that  we  were  there  to  rob.  In 
twenty  minutes  he  had  a  squad  of  officers  at 
the  gate,  the  chief  trailing  along  behind.  They 
found  the  pile  of  tools  we  had  left  there,  and 
later  the  other  chap  in  the  arbor.  A  couple 
of  guards  came  charging  up  to  learn  the  cause 
of  the  commotion,  and  the  whole  crew  sailed 
into  the  castle,  arriving  just  in  time.  Well, 
just  as  soon  as  I  had  told  them  the  full  story 
of  the  plot,  old  Caspar,  the  chief  and  the  cap- 
tain held  a  short  consultation,  the  result  of 
which  I  can  tell  in  mighty  few  words.  At  six 
o'clock  they  took  the  whole  gang  of  prisoners 
down  in  the  ravine  and  shot  them.  The 
mounted  guards  are  still  looking  for  the  two 
Viennese  who  were  left  with  the  carriage. 
They  escaped.  About  an  hour  after  you  were 
hurt  you  were  carried  over  here  and  laid  on 
this  couch.  I  want  to  tell  you,  Mr.  Lorry, 
you  are  the  most  interesting  object  that  ever 
found  its  way  into  a  royal  household.  They 
have  been  hanging  over  you  as  if  you  were 
a  new-born  baby,  and  everybody's  charmed 
because  you  are  a  boy  and  are  going  to  live. 
As  an  adventure  this  has  been  a  record-breaker, 
my  son!  We  are  cocks  of  the  walk!" 

Lorry  was  smiling  faintly  over  his  enthusiasm. 

"You  are  th^real  hero,  Harry.     You  saved 


YETIVE  189 

my  life  and  probably  hers.  I'll  not  allow  you 
or  anybody  to  give  me  the  glory,"  he  said, 
pressing  the  other's  hand. 

"Oh,  that's  nonsense!  Anybody  could  have 
rushed  in  as  I  did.  I  was  only  capping  the 
climax  you  had  prepared — merely  a  timely 
arrival,  as  the  novels  say.  There  is  a  little  of 
the  credit  due  me,  of  course,  and  I'll  take  it 
gracefully,  but  I  only  come  in  as  an  accessory, 
a  sort  of  bushwhacker  who  had  only  to  do  the 
shoot,  slap-bang  work  and  close  the  act.  You 
did  the  hero's  work.  But  what  do  you  think 
of  the  way  they  hand  out  justice  over  here? 
All  but  two  of  'em  dead!" 

"Whose  plan  was  it  to  kill  those  men?"  cried 
Lorry,  suddenly  sitting  upright. 

"Everybody's,  I  fancy.  They  didn't  consult 
me,  though,  come  to  think  of  it.  Ah,  here  is 
Her  Royal  Highness!" 

The  Princess  and  Aunt  Yvonne  were  at  his 
side  again,  while  Count  Caspar  was  coming 
rapidly  toward  them. 

"You  must  not  sit  up,  Mr.  Lorry/*  began 
the  Princess,  but  he  was  crying: 

"Did  they  make  a  confession,  Harry?" 

"I  don't  know.  Did  they,  Unc— Count  Hal- 
font?  Did  they  confess?  Great  heavens,  I 
never  thought  of  that  before." 


ipo  GRAUSTARK 

"What  was  there  to  confess?"  asked  the 
Count,  taking  Lorry's  hand  kindly.  "They 
were  caught  in  the  act.  My  dear  sir,  they 
were  not  even  tried. " 

"I  thought  your  police  chief  was  such  a 
shrewd  man,"  cried  Lorry,  angrily. 

"What's  that?"  asked  a  gruff  voice,  and 
Baron  Dangloss  was  a  member  of  the  party, 
red  and  panting. 

"Don't  you  know  you  should  not  have  killed 
those  men?"  demanded  Lorry.  They  sur- 
veyed him  in  amazement,  except  Anguish, 
who  had  buried  his  face  in  his  hands  de- 
jectedly. 

"And,  sir,  I'd  like  to  know  why  not?"  blus- 
tered Dangloss. 

"And,  sir,  I'd  like  to  know,  since  you  have 
shot  the  only  beings  on  earth  who  knew  the 
man  that  hired  them,  how  in  the  name  of  yotir 
alleged  justice  you  are  going  to  apprehend 
him?"  said  Lorry,  sinking  back  to  his  pillow, 
exhausted. 

No  reserve  could  hide  the  consternation, 
embarrassment  and  shame  that  overwhelmed 
a  very  worthy  but  very  impetuous  nobleman, 
Baron  Jasto  Dangloss,  chief  of  police  in  Edel- 
weiss. He  could  only  sputter  his  excuses  and 
withdraw,  swearing  to  catch  the  arch-conspir* 


YETIVE  191 

ator  or  to  die  in  the  attempt.  Not  a  soul  in 
the  castle,  not  a  being  in  all  Graustark  could 
offer  the  faintest  clew  to  the  identity  of  the 
man  or  explain  his  motive.  No  one  knew  a 
Michael,  who  might  have  been  inadvertently 
addressed  as  "your"  possible  "Highness." 
The  greatest  wonder  reigned;  vexation,  un- 
easiness and  perplexity  existed  everywhere. 

Standing  there  with  her  head  on  her  aunt's 
shoulder,  her  face  grave  and  troubled,  the 
Princess  asked : 

"Why  should  they  seek  to  abduct  me?  Was 
it  to  imprison  or  to  kill  me?  Oh,  Aunt 
Yvonne,  have  I  not  been  good  to  my  people? 
God  knows  I  have  done  all  that  I  can.  I  could 
have  done  no  more.  Is  it  a  conspiracy  to 
force  me  from  the  throne?  Who  can  be  so 
cruel?" 

And  no  one  could  answer.  They  could  sim- 
ply offer  words  of  comfort  and  promises  of  pro- 
tection. Later  in  the  day  gruff  Dangloss 
marched  in  and  apologized  to  the  Americans 
for  his  suspicions  concerning  them,  imploring 
their  assistance  in  running  down  the  chief 
villain.  And  as  the  hours  went  by  Count  Hal 
font  came  in  and,  sitting  beside  Grenfall, 
begged  his  pardon  and  asked  him  to  forget  the 
deception  that  had  been  practiced  in  the  United 


192  CRA  USTARK 

States.  He  explained  the  necessity  for  travel- 
ing incognito  at  that  time.  After  which  the 
Count  entered  a  plea  for  Her  Royal  Highness, 
who  had  expressed  contrition  and  wished  to  be 
absolved. 


XI 


LOVE  IN  A  CASTLE 

As  the  day  wore  on  Lorry  grew  irritable  and 
restless.  He  could  not  bring  himself  into  full 
touch  with  the  situation,  notwithstanding 
Harry's  frequent  and  graphic  recollections  of 
incidents  that  had  occurred  and  that  had  led 
to  their  present  condition.  Their  luncheon 
was  served  in  the  Count's  room,  as  it  was  inad- 
visable for  the  injured  man  to  go  to  the  dining- 
halt  until  he  was  stronger.  The  court  physi- 
cian assured  him  that  he  would  be  incapacitated 
for  several  days,  but  that  in  a  very  short  time 
his  wound  would  lose  the  power  to  annoy  him 
in  the  least.  The  Count  and  Countess  Hal- 
font,  Anguish  and  others  came  to  cheer  him 
and  to  make  his  surroundings  endurable.  Still 
he  was  dissatisfied,  even  unhappy. 

The  cause  of  his  uneasiness  and  depression 
was  revealed  only  by  the  manner  in  which  it 
was  removed.  He  was  lying  stretched  out  on 
the  couch,  staring  from  the  window,  his  head 
aching,  his  heart  full  of  a  longing  that  knows 
but  one  solace.  Anguish  had  gone  out  in  the 
193 


194  GRA  U STARK 

grounds  after  assuring  himself  that  his  charge 
was  asleep,  so  there  was  no  one  in  the  room 
when  he  awakened  from  a  sickening  dream  to 
shudder  alone  over  its  memory.  A  cool  breeze 
from  an  open  window  fanned  his  head  kindly ; 
a  bright  sun  gleamed  across  the  trees,  turning 
them  into  gold  and  purple  and  red  and  green ; 
a  quiet  repose  was  in  all  that  touched  him  out- 
wardly ;  inwardly  there  was  burning  turmoil. 
He  turned  on  his  side  and  curiously  felt  the 
bandages  about  his  head.  They  were  tight 
and  smooth,  and  he  knew  they  were  perfectly 
white.  How  lonely  those  bandages  made  him 
feel,  away  off  there  in  Graustark ! 

The  door  to  his  room  opened  softly,  but  he 
did  not  turn,  thinking  it  was  Anguish — always 
Anguish — and  not  the  one  he  most  desired 

"Her  Royal  Highness,"  announced  a  maid, 
and  then : 

"May  I  come  in?"  asked  a  voice  that  went 
to  his  troubled  soul  like  a  cooling  draught  to 
the  fevered  throat.  He  turned  toward  her 
instantly,  all  the  irritation,  all  the  uneasiness, 
all  the  loneliness  vanishing  like  mist  before 
the  sun.  Behind  her  was  a  lady-in-waiting. 

"I  cannot  deny  the  request  of  a  princess," 
he  responded,  smiling  gaily.  He  held  forth 


LOVE  IN  A  CASTLE  195 

his  hand  toward  her,  half  fearing  she  would 
not  take  it. 

The  Princess  Yetive  came  straight  to  his 
couch  and  laid  her  hand  in  his.  He  drew  it 
to  his  lips  and  then  released  it  lingeringly. 
She  stood  before  him,  looking  down  with  an 
anxiety  in  her  eyes  that  would  have  repaid 
him  had  death  been  there  to  claim  his  next 
breath. 

"Are  you  better?"  she  asked,  with  her  pretty 
accent.  "I  have  been  so  troubled  about  you." 

"I  thought  you  had  forgotten  me,"  he  said, 
with  childish  petulance. 

"Forgotten  you!"  she  cried,  quick  to  resent 
the  imputation.  "Let  me  tell  you,  then,  what 
I  have  been  doing  while  forgetting.  I  have 
sent  to  the  Regengetz  for  your  luggage  and 
your  friend's.  You  will  find  it  much  more 
comfortable  here.  You  are  to  make  this  house 
your  home  as  long  as  you  are  in  Edelweiss. 
That  is  how  I  have  been  forgetting. ' ' 

"Forgive  me!''  he  cried,  his  eyes  gleaming. 
"I  have  been  so  lonely  that  I  imagined  all 
sorts  of  things.  But,  your  Highness,  you  must 
not  expect  us  to  remain  here  after  I  am  able 
to  leave.  That  would  be  imposing " 

"I  will  not  allow  you  to  &a.y  it!"  she  objected, 
decisively.  "You  are  the  guest  of  honor  in 


196  GRAUSTARK 

Graustark.  Have  you  not  preserved  its  ruler? 
Was  it  an  imposition  to  risk  your  life  to  save 
one  in  whom  you  had  but  passing  interest,  even 
though  she  were  a  poor  princess?  No,  my 
American,  this  castle  is  yours,  in  all  rejoicing, 
for  had  you  not  come  within  its  doors  to-day 
would  have  found  it  in  mournful  terror.  Be- 
sides, Mr.  Anguish  has  said  he  will  stay  a  year 
if  we  insist." 

"That's  like  Harry,"  laughed  Lorry.  "But 
I  am  afraid  you  are  glorifying  two  rattle- 
brained chaps  who  should  be  in  a  home  for  im- 
beciles instead  of  in  the  castle  their  audacity 
might  have  blighted.  Our  rashness  was  only 
surpassed  by  our  phenomenal  good  luck.  By 
chance  it  turned  out  well;  there  were  ten 
thousand  chances  of  ignominious  failure.  Had 
we  failed  would  we  have  been  guests  of  honor? 
No!  We  would  have  been  stoned  from  Grau- 
stark. You  don't  know  how  thin  the  thread 
was  that  held  your  fate.  It  makes  me  shudder 
to  think  of  the  crime  our  act  might  have  been. 
Ah,  had  I  but  known  you  were  the  Princess, 
no  chances  should  have  been  taken,"  he  said, 
fervently. 

"And  a  romance  spoiled,"  she  laughed. 

"So  you  are  a  princess, — a  real  princess,"  he 
went  on,  as  if  he  had  not  heard  her.  "I  knew 


LO  VE  IN  A  CASTLE  197 

It.  Something  told  me  you  were  not  an  ordi- 
nary woman " 

"Oh,  but  I  am  a  very  ordinary  woman,"  she 
remonstrated.  "You  do  not  know  how  easy  it 
is  to  be  a  princess  and  a  mere  woman  at  the 
same  time.  I  have  a  heart,  a  head.  I  breathe 
and  eat  and  drink  and  sleep  and  love.  Is  it 
not  that  way  with  other  women?" 

"You  breathe  and  eat  and  drink  and  sleep 
and  love  in  a  different  world,  though,  your 
Highness." 

"Ach!  my  little  maid,  The*rese,  sleeps  as 
soundly,  eats  as  heartily  and  loves  as  warmly 
as  I,  so  a  fig  for  your  argument. ' ' 

"You  may  breathe  the  same  air,  but  would 
you  love  the  same  man  that  your  maid  might 
love?" 

"Is  a  man  the  only  excuse  for  love?"  she 
asked.  "If  so,  then  I  must  say  that  I  breathe 
and  eat  and  drink  and  sleep — and  that  is 
all." 

"Pardon  me,  but  some  day  you  will  find  that 
love  is  a.  man,  and" — here  he  laughed — "you 
will  neither  breathe,  nor  eat,  nor  sleep  except 
with  him  in  your  heart.  Even  a  princess  is 
cot  proof  against  a  man." 

"Is  a  man  proof  against  a  princess?"  she 
asked,  as  she  leaned  against  the  casement. 


198  GRA  USTARK 

"It  depends  on  the" — he  paused — "the  prin- 
cess, I  should  say." 

"Alas!  There  is  one  more  fresh  responsi- 
bility acquired.  It  seems  to  me  that  every- 
thing depends  on  the  princess,"  she  said, 
merrily. 

"Not  entirely,"  he  said,  quickly.  "A  great 
deal — a  very  great  deal — depends  on  circum- 
stances. For  instance,  when  you  were  Miss 
Guggenslocker  it  wouldn't  have  been  necessary 
for  the  man  to  be  a  prince,  you  know. ' ' 

"But  I  was  Miss  Guggenslocker  because  a 
man  was  unnecessary,"  she  said,  so  gravely 
that  he  smiled.  "I  was  without  a  title  be- 
cause it  was  more  womanly  than  to  be  a  'freak, ' 
as  I  should  have  been  had  every  man,  woman 
and  child  looked  upon  me  as  a  princess.  I  did 
not  travel  through  your  land  for  the  purpose 
of  exhibiting  myself,  but  to  learn  and  un- 
learn." 

"I  remember  it  cost  you  a  certain  coin  to 
learn  one  thing,"  he  observed. 

"It  was  money  well  spent,  as  subsequent 
events  have  proved.  I  shall  never  regret  the 
spending  of  that  half  gavvo.  Was  it  not  the 
means  of  bringing  you  to  Edelweiss?" 

"Well,  it  was  largely  responsible,  but  I  am 
inclined  to  believe  that  a  certain  desire  on  my 


LO  VE  IN  A  CASTLE  199 

part  would  have  found  a  way  without  the  assist- 
ance of  the  coin.  You  don't  know  how  persist- 
ent an  American  can  be. ' ' 

"Would  you  have  persisted  had  you  known 
I  was  a  princess?"  she  asked. 

"Well,  I  can  hardly  tell  about  that,  but  you 
must  remember  I  didn't  know  who  or  what 
you  were." 

"Would  you  have  come  to  Graustark  had 
you  known  I  was  its  princess?" 

"I'll  admit  I  came  because  you  were  Miss 
Guggenslocker. " 

"A  mere  woman." 

"I  will  not  consent  to  the  word  'mere.' 
What  would  you  think  of  a  man  who  came 
half-way  across  the  earth  for  the  sake  of  a  mere 
woman?" 

"I  should  say  he  had  a  great  deal  of  curios- 
ity," she  responded,  coolly. 

"And  not  much  sense.  There  is  but  one 
woman  a  man  would  do  so  much  for,  and  she 
could  not  be  a  mere  woman  in  his  eyes." 
Lorry's  face  was  white  and  his  eyes  gleamed 
as  he  hurled  this  bold  conclusion  at  her. 

"Especially  when  he  learns  that  she  is  a 
princess!"  said  she,  her  voice  so  cold  and  re- 
pellent that  his  eyes  closed  involuntarily,  as  if 
an  unexpected  horror  had  come  before  them. 


aoo  GRA  USTARK 

"You  must  not  tell  me  that  you  came  to  see 
me." 

"But  I  did  come  to  see  you  and  not  Her 
Royal  Highness  the  Princess  Yetive  of  Grau- 
stark.  How  was  I  to  know?"  he  cried  impul- 
sively. 

"But  you  are  no  longer  ignorant,"  she  said, 
looking  from  the  window. 

"I  thought  you  said  you  were  a  mere 
woman!" 

"I  am — and  that  is  the  trouble!"  she  said, 
slowly  turning  her  eyes  back  to  him.  Then 
she  abruptly  sank  to  the  window  seat  near  his 
head.  "That  is  the  trouble,  I  say.  A  woman 
is  a  woman,  although  she  be  a  princess.  Don't 
you  understand  why  you  must  not  say  such 
things  to  me?" 

"Because  you  are  a  princess,"  he  said,  bit- 
terly. 

"No;  because  I  am  a  woman.  As  a  woman 
I  want  to  hear  them,  as  a  princess  I  cannot. 
Now,  have  I  made  you  understand?  Have  I 
been  bold  enough?"  Her  face  was  burning. 

"You — you  don't  mean  that  you "  he 

half  whispered,  drawing  himself  toward  her, 
his  face  glowing. 

"Ach!    What  have  I  said?" 

"You  have  said  enough  to  drive  me  mad 
with  desire  for  more,"  he  cried,  seizing  her 


LO  VE  IN  A  CASTLE  aoi 

hand,  which  she  withdrew  instantly,  rising  to 
her  feet. 

"I  have  only  said  that  I  wanted  to  hear  you 
say  you  had  come  to  see  me.  Is  not  that 
something  for  a  woman's  vanity  to  value?  I 
am  sorry  you  have  presumed  to  misunderstand 
me."  She  was  cold  again,  but  he  was  not  to 
be  baffled. 

"Then  be  a  woman  and  forget  that  you  are 
a  princess  until  I  tell  you  why  I  came,"  he 
cried. 

"I  cannot!  I  mean,  I  will  not  listen  to 
you,"  she  said,  glancing  about  helplessly,  yet 
standing  still  within  the  danger  circle. 

"I  came  because  I  have  thought  of  you  and 
dreamed  of  you  since  the  day  you  sailed  from 
New  York.  God,  can  I  ever  forget  that 
day!" 

"Please  do  not  recall "  she  began,  blush- 
ing and  turning  to  the  window. 

"The  kiss  you  threw  to  me?  Were  you  a 
princess  then?"  She  did  not  answer,  and  he 
paused  for  a  moment,  a  thought  striking  him 
which  at  first  he  did  not  dare  to  voice.  Then 
he  blurted  it  out.  "If  you  do  not  want  to  hear 
me  say  these  things,  why  do  you  stand  there?" 

"Oh,"  she  faltered. 

"Don't  leave  me  now.     I  want  to  say  what 


J02  GRA  USTARK 

I  came  over  here  to  say,  and  then  you  can  go 
back  to  your  throne  and  your  royal  reserve, 
and  I  can  go  back  to  the  land  from  which  you 
drew  me.  I  came  because  I  love  you.  Is  not 
that  enough  to  drag  a  man  to  the  end  of  the 
world?  I  came  to  marry  you  if  I  could,  for 
you  were  Miss  Guggenslocker  to  me.  Then 
you  were  within  my  reach,  but  not  now!  I 
can  only  love  a  princess!"  He  stopped  because 
she  had  dropped  to  the  couch  beside  him,  her 
serious  face  turned  appealingly  to  his,  her  fin- 
gers clasping  his  hands  fiercely. 

"I  forbid  you  to  continue — I  forbid  you! 
Do  you  hear?  I,  too,  have  thought  and 
dreamed  of  you,  and  I  have  prayed  that  you 
might  come.  But  you  must,  not  tell  me  that 
you  love  me — you  shall  not!" 

"I  only  want  to  know  that  you  love  me,"  he 
whispered. 

"Do  you  think  I  can  tell  you  the  truth?"  she 
cried.  "I  do  not  love  you!" 

Before  he  had  fairly  grasped  the  importance 
of  the  contradictory  sentences,  she  left  his  side 
and  stood  in  the  window,  her  breast  heaving 
and  her  face  flaming. 

"Then  I  am  to  believe  you  do,"  he  groaned, 
after  a  moment.  "I  find  a  princess  and  lose 
a  woman!" 


LOVE  IN  A  CASTLE  203 

"I  did  not  intend  that  you  should  have  said 
what  you  have,  or  that  I  should  have  told  you 
what  I  have.  I  knew  you  loved  me  or  you 
would  not  have  come  to  me,"  she  said, 
softly. 

"You  would  have  been  selfish  enough  to 
enjoy  that  knowledge  without  giving  joy  in 
return.  I  see.  What  else  could  you  have 
done?  A  princess!  Oh,  I  would  to  God  you 
were  Miss  Guggenslocker,  the  woman  I 
sought!" 

"Amen  to  that!"  she  said.  "Can  I  trust  you 
never  to  renew  this  subject?  We  have  each 
learned  what  had  better  been  left  unknown. 
You  understand  my  position.  Surely  you  will 
be  good  enough  to  look  upon  me  ever  after- 
ward as  a  princess  and  forget  that  I  have  been 
a  woman  unwittingly.  I  ask  you,  for  your 
sake  and  my  own,  to  refrain  from  a  renewal  of 
this  unhappy  subject.  You  can  see  how  hope- 
less it  is  for  both  of  us.  I  have  said  much  to 
you  that  I  trust  you  will  cherish  as  coming 
from  a  woman  who  could  not  have  helped  her- 
self and  who  has  given  to  you  the  power  to 
undo  her  with  a  single  word.  I  know  you  will 
always  be  the  brave,  true  man  my  heart  has 
told  me  you  are.  You  will  let  the  beginning 
be  the  end?" 


ao4  GRA  USTARK 

The  appeal  was  so  earnest,  so  noble  that 
honor  swelled  in  his  heart  and  came  from  his 
lips  in  this  promise: 

"You  may  trust  me,  your  Highness.  Your 
secret  is  worth  a  thousand-fold  more  than 
mine.  It  is  sacred  with  me.  The  joy  of  my 
life  has  ended,  but  the  happiness  of  knowing 
the  truth  will  never  die.  I  shall  remember 
that  you  love  me — yes,  I  know  you  do, — and  I 
shall  never  forget  to  love  you.  I  will  not 
promise  that  I  shall  never  speak  of  it  again  to 
you.  As  I  lie  here,  there  comes  to  me  a  cour- 
age I  did  not  know  I  could  feel." 

"No,  no!"  she  cried,  vehemently. 

"Forgive  me!  You  can  at  least  let  me  say 
that  as  long  as  I  live  I  may  cherish  and  encour- 
age the  little  hope  that  all  is  not  dead.  Your 
Highness,  let  me  say  that  my  family  never 
knows  when  it  is  defeated,  either  in  love  or  in 
war. ' ' 

"The  walls  which  surround  the  heart  of  a 
princess  are  black  and  grim,  impenetrable 
when  she  defends  it,  my  boasting  American," 
she  said,  smiling  sadly. 

"Yet  some  prince  of  the  realm  will  batter 
down  the  wall  and  win  at  a  single  blow  that 
which  a  mere  man  could  not  conquer  in  ten 
lifetimes.  Such  is  the  world," 


WYE  IN  A  CASTLE  205 

"The  prince  may  batter  down  and  seize,  but 
he  can  never  conquer.  But  enough  of  this ! 
I  am  the  Princess  of  Graustark;  you  are  my 
fiiend,  Grenfall  Lorry,  and  there  is  only  a  dear 
friendship  between  us,"  she  cried,  resuming 
her  merry  humor  so  easily  that  he  started  with 
surprise  and  not  a  little  displeasure. 

"And  a  throne,"  he  added,  smiling,  how- 
ever. 

"And  a  promise,"  she  reminded  him. 

"From  which  I  trust  I  may  some  day  be  re- 
leased," said  he,  sinking  back,  afflicted  with  a 
discouragement  and  a  determination  of  equal 
power.  He  could  see  hope  and  hopelessness 
ahead. 

"By  death!" 

"No;  by  life!  It  maybe  sooner  than  you 
think!" 

"You  are  forgetting  your  promise  already." 

"Your  Highness's  pardon,"  he  begged. 

They  laughed,  but  their  hearts  were  sad,  this 
luckless  American  and  hapless  sovereign  who 
would,  if  she  could,  be  a  woman. 

"It  is  now  three  o'clock — the  hour  when  you 
were  to  have  called  to  see  me,"  she  said,  again 
sitting  unconcernedly  before  him  in  the  win- 
dow seat.  She  was  not  afraid  of  him.  She 
was  a  princess. 


ao6  GRA  USTARK 

"I  misunderstood  you,  your  highness.  I  re- 
membered the  engagement,  but  it  seems  I  was 
mistaken  as  to  the  time.  I  came  at  three  in 
the  morning!" 

"And  found  me  at  home!" 

"In  an  impregnable  castle,  with  ogres  all 
about." 


XII 


A  WAR  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES 

Lorry  was  removed  to  another  room  before 
dinner,  as  she  had  promised. 

After  they  had  dined  the  two  strangers  were 
left  alone  for  several  hours.  Anguish  regaled 
his  friend  with  an  enthusiastic  dissertation  on 
the  charms  of  the  Countess  Dagmar,  lady-in- 
waiting  to  the  Princess.  In  conclusion  he  said 
glowingly,  his  cigar  having  been  out  for  half 
an  hour  or  more  because  his  energy  had  been 
spent  in  another  direction : 

"You  haven't  seen  much  of  her,  Lorry,  but 
I  tell  you  she  is  rare.  And  she's  not  betrothed 
to  any  of  these  confounded  counts  or  dukes 
either.  They  all  adore  her  but  she's  not  com- 
mitted." 

"How  do  you  know  all  this?"  demanded 
Lorry,  who  but  half  heard  through  his 
dreams. 

"Asked  her,  of  course.  How  in  thunder  do 
you  suppose?" 

"And  you've  known  her  but  a  day?  Well, 
you  are  progressive. ' ' 

207 


«o8  CRA  USTARK 

"Oh,  perfectly  natural  conversation,  you 
know,"  explained  Anguish,  composedly.  "She 
began  it  by  asking  me  if  I  were  married,  and 
I  said  I  wasn't  even  engaged.  Then  I  asked 
her  if  she  were  married.  You  see,  from  the 
title,  you  can't  tell  whether  a  countess  is  mar- 
ried or  single.  She  said  she  wasn't,  and  I 
promptly  and  very  properly  expressed  my 
amazement.  By  Jove,  she  has  a  will  and  a 
mind  of  her  own,  that  young  woman  has.  She's 
not  going  to  marry  until  she  finds  a  man  of 
the  right  sort — which  is  refreshing.  I  like  to 
hear  a  girl  talk  like  that,  especially  a  pretty  girl 
who  can  deal  in  princes,  counts  and  all  kinds 
of  nobility  when  it  comes  to  a  matrimonial 
trade.  By  Jove,  I'm  sorry  for  the  Princess, 
though." 

"Sorry  for  the  Princess?  Why?"  asked  the 
other,  alert  at  once. 

"Oh,  just  because  it's  not  in  her  power  to 
be  so  independent.  The  Countess  says  she 
cries  every  night  when  she  thinks  of  what  the 
poor  girl  has  to  contend  with." 

"Tell  me  about  it." 

"I  don't  know  anything  to  tell.  I'm  not 
interested  in  the  Princess,  and  I  didn't  have 
the  nerve  to  ask  many  questions.  I  do  know, 
however,  that  she  is  going  to  have  an  unpleas- 


A   WAR  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES    209 

ant  matrimonial  alliance  forced  upon  her  in 
some  way. ' ' 

"That  is  usual. 

"That's  what  I  gather  from  the  Countess. 
Maybe  you  can  pump  the  Countess  and  get 
all  you  want  to  know  in  connection  with  the 
matter.  It's  a  pretty  serious  state  of  affairs, 
I  should  say,  or  she  wouldn't  be  weeping 
through  sympathy." 

Lorry  recalled  a  part  of  the  afternoon's 
sweetly  dangerous  conversation  and  the  per- 
spiration stood  cold  and  damp  on  his  brow. 

"Well,  old  man,  you've  chased  Miss  Guggen- 
slocker  to  earth  only  to  find  her  an  impossi- 
bility. Pretty  hopeless  for  you,  Lorry,  but 
don't  let  it  break  you  up  completely.  We  can 
go  back  home  after  a  while  and  you  will  for- 
get her.  A  countess,  of  course,  is  different." 

"Harry,  I  know  it  is  downright  madness  for 
me  to  act  like  this,"  said  Lorry,  his  jaws  set 
and  his  hands  clenched  as  he  raised  himself  to 
his  elbow.  "You  don't  know  how  much  I  love 
her." 

"Your  nerve  is  to  be  admired,  but — well, 
I'm  sorry  for  you. " 

"Thanks  for  your  sympathy.  I  suppose  111 
need  it,"  and  he  sank  back  gloomily.  An- 
guish was  right — absurdly  right. 


2io  GRAUSTARK 

There  was  a  rap  at  the  door  and  Anguish 
hastened  to  open  it.  A  servant  presented 
Count  Halfort's  compliments  and  begged  leave 
to  call. 

"Shall  we  see  the  old  boy?"  asked  Harry. 

"Yes,  yes,"  responded  the  other.  The  serv- 
ant understood  the  sign  made  by  Anguish 
and  disappeared.  "Diplomatic  call,  I  sus- 
pect." 

"He  is  the  prime  minister,  I  understand. 
Well,  we'll  diplome  with  him  until  bed-time, 
if  he  cares  to  stay.  I'm  getting  rather  accus- 
tomed to  the  nobility.  They  are  not  so  bad, 

after  all.  Friendly  and  all  that Ah, 

good  evening,  your  excellency!  We  are  hon- 
ored." 

The  Count  had  entered  the  room  and  was 
advancing  toward  the  couch,  tall,  easy  and  the 
personification  of  cordiality. 

"I  could  not  retire  until  I  had  satisfied  my- 
self as  to  Mr.  Lorry's  condition  and  his  com- 
fort," said  he,  in  his  broken  English.  He 
seated  himself  near  the  couch  and  bent  sharp, 
anxious  eyes  on  the  recumbent  figure. 

"Oh,  he's  all  right,"  volunteered  Anguish, 
readily.  "Be  able  to  go  into  battle  again  to- 
morrow." 

"That  is  the  way  with  you  aggressive  Amer- 
icans, 1  am  told.  They  never  give  up  until 


A-WAR  AND  ITS  CONSEQ  UENCES    2 1 1 

they  are  dead,"  said  the  Count,  courteously. 
"Your  head  is  better?" 

"It  does  not  pain  me  as  it  did,  and  I'm  sure 
I'll  be  able  to  get  out  to-morrow.  Thank  you 
very  much  for  your  interest,"  said  Lorry. 
"May  I  inquire  after  the  health  of  the  Countess 
Halfont?  The  excitement  of  last  night  has 
not  had  an  unpleasant  effect,  I  hope." 

"She  is  with  the  Princess,  and  both  are  quite 
well.  Since  our  war,  gentlemen,  Graustark 
women  have  nothing  to  acquire  in  the  way  of 
courage  and  endurance.  You,  of  course, 
know  nothing  of  the  horrors  of  that  war." 

"But  we  would  be  thankful  for  the  story 
of  it,  your  excellency.  War  is  a  hobby  of 
mine.  I  read  every  war  scare  that  gets  into 
print,"  said  Anguish,  eagerly. 

"We,  of  Graustark,  at  present  have  every 
reason  to  recall  the  last  war  and  bitterly  to 
lament  its  ending.  The  war  occurred  just 
fifteen  years  ago — but  will  the  recital  tire  you, 
Mr.  Lorry?  I  came  to  spend  a  few  moments 
socially  and  not  to  go  into  history.  At  any 
other  time  I  shall  be " 

"It  will  please  and  not  tire  me.  I  am  deeply 
interested.  Pray  go  on,"  Lorry  hastened  to 
say,  for  he  was  interested  more  than  the  Count 
suspected. 


ai  a  CRAUSTARK 

"Fifteen  years  ago  Prince  Ganlook,  of  this 
principality, — the  father  of  our  princess, — be- 
came incensed  over  the   depredations  of  the 
Axphain  soldiers  who  patrolled  our  border  on 
the  north.     He  demanded  restitution  for  the 
devastation  they  had  created,  but  was  refused. 
Graustark  is  a  province  comprising  some  eight 
hundred  square  miles  of  the  best  land  in  this 
part  of  the  world.     Our  neighbor  is  smaller  in 
area  and  population.     Our  army  was  better 
equipped    but    not    so    hardy.      For    several 
months  the   fighting  in   the  north  was  in  our 
favor,  but  the  result  was  that  our  forces  were 
finally  driven  back  to  Edelweiss,  hacked  and 
battered  by  the   fierce   thousands  that  came 
over  the  border.     The  nation  was  staggered  by 
the  shock,  for  such  an  outcome  had  not  been 
considered  possible.     We  had  been  too  confi- 
dent.    Our  soldiers  were  sick  and  worn  by  six 
months  of  hard  fighting,  and  the  men  of  Edel- 
weiss— the   merchants,    the    laborers  and  the 
nobility  itself — flew  to  arms  in  defense  of  the 
city.     For  over  a  month  we  fought,  hundreds 
of  our  best  and  bravest  citizens  going  down  to 
death.     They  at  last  began  a  bombardment  of 
the  city.     To-day  you  can  see  the  marks  on 
nearly  every  house  in   Edelweiss.     Hundreds 
of  graves  in  the  valley  to  the  south  attest  the 


A   WAR  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES    213 

terrors  of  that  siege.  The  castle  was  stormed, 
and  Prince  Ganlook,  with  many  of  the  chief 
men  of  the  land,  met  death.  The  prince  was 
killed  in  front  of  the  castle  gates,  from  which 
he  had  sallied  in  a  last,  brave  attempt  to  beat 
off  the  conquerors.  A  bronze  statue  now 
marks  the  spot  on  which  he  fell.  The  Princess, 
his  wife,  was  my  sister,  and  as  I  held  the  port- 
folio of  finance,  it  was  through  me  that  the 
city  surrendered,  bringing  the  siege  to  an  end. 
Fifteen  years  ago  this  autumn — the  twentieth 
of  November,  to  be  explicit — the  treaty  of  peace 
was  signed  in  Sofia.  We  were  compelled  to 
cede  a  portion  of  territory  in  the  far  northeast, 
valuable  for  its  mines.  Indemnity  was  agreed 
upon  by  the  peace  commissioners,  amounting 
to  20,000,000  gavvos,  or  nearly  $30,000,000  in 
your  money.  In  fifteen  years  this  money  was 
to  be  paid,  with  interest.  On  the  twentieth  of 
November,  this  year,  the  people  of  Graustark 
must  pay  25,000,000  gavvos.  The  time  is  at 
hand,  and  that  is  why  we  recall  the  war  so 
vividly.  It  means  the  bankruptcy  of  the  na- 
tion, gentlemen." 

Neither  of  his  listeners  spoke  for  some  mo- 
ments. Then  Lorry  broke  the  silence. 

"You  mean  that  the  money  cannot  be 
raised?"  he  asked. 


214  GRAUSTARK 

"It  is  not  in  our  treasury.  Our  people  have 
been  taxed  so  sorely  in  rebuilding  their  homes 
and  in  recuperating  from  the  effect  of  that 
dreadful  invasion  that  they  have  been  unable 
to  pay  the  levies.  You  must  remember  that 
we  are  a  small  nation  and  of  limited  resources. 
Your  nation  could  secure  $30,000,000  in 
one  hour  for  the  mere  asking.  To  us  it  is 
like  a  death  blow.  I  am  not  betraying  a  state 
secret  in  telling  you  of  the  sore  straits  in 
which  we  are  placed,  for  every  man  in  the 
nation  has  been  made  cognizant  of  the  true 
conditions.  We  are  all  facing  it  together. ' ' 

There  was  something  so  quietly  heroic  in  his 
manner  that  both  men  felt  pity.  Anguish, 
looking  at  the  military  figure,  asked: 

"You  fought  through  the  war,  your  excel- 
lency?" 

"I  resigned  as  minister,  sir,  to  go  to  the 
front.  I  was  in  the  first  battle  and  I  was  in 
the  last,"  he  said,  simply. 

"And  the  Princess, — the  present  ruler,  I 
mean, — was  a  mere  child  at  that  time.  When 
did  she  succeed  to  the  throne?"  asked  Lorry. 

"Oh,  the  great  world  does  not  remember  our 
little  history!  Within  a  year  after  the  death 
of  Prince  Ganlook,  his  wife,  my  sister,  passed 
away,  dying  of  a  broken  heart.  Her  daughter, 


A   WAR  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES    215 

their  only  child,  was,  according  to  our  custom, 
crowned  at  once.  She  has  reigned  for  four- 
teen years,  and  wisely  since  assuming  full 
power.  For  three  years  she  has  been  ruler  de 
facto.  She  has  been  frugal,  and  has  done  all 
in  her  power  to  meet  the  shadow  that  is  de- 
scending. " 

"And  what  is  the  alternative  in  case  the  in- 
demnity is  not  paid?"  asked  Lorry,  breath- 
lessly, for  he  saw  something  bright  in  the  ap- 
proaching calamity. 

"The  cession  of  all  that  part  of  Graustark 
lying  north  of  Edelweiss,  including  fourteen 
towns,  all  of  our  mines  and  our  most  produc- 
tive farming  and  grazing  lands.  In  that  event 
Graustark  will  be  no  larger  than  one  of  the 
good-sized  farms  in  your  western  country. 
There  will  be  nothing  left  for  Her  Royal 
Highness  to  rule  save  a  tract  so  small  that  the 
word  principality  will  be  a  travesty  and  a  jest. 
This  city  and  twenty-five  miles  to  the  south,  a 
strip  about  one  hundred  fifty  miles  long. 
Think  of  it!  Twenty-five  by  one  hundred  fifty 
miles,  and  yet  called  a  principality !  Once  the 
proudest  and  most  prosperous  state  in  the  east, 
considering  its  size,  reduced  to  that!  Ach, 
gentlemen — gentlemen!  I  cannot  think  of  it 
without  tearing  out  a  heart-string  and  suffer- 


2i6  GRA  USTARK 

ing  such  pains  as  mortal  man  has  never  en- 
dured. I  lived  in  Graustark's  days  of  wealth, 
power  and  supremacy;  God  has  condemned 
me  to  live  in  the  days  of  her  dependency, 
weakness  and  poverty.  Let  us  talk  no  more 
of  this  unpleasant  subject." 

His  hearers  pitied  the  frank,  proud  old  man 
from  the  bottoms  of  their  hearts.  He  had  told 
them  the  story  with  the  candor  and  simplicity 
of  a  child,  admitting1  weakness  and  despond- 
ency. Still  he  sat  erect  and  defiant,  his  face 
white  and  drawn,  his  figure  suggesting  the 
famous  picture  of  the  stag  at  bay. 

"Willingly,  your  excellency,  since  it  is  dis- 
tasteful to  you.  I  hope,  however,  you  will 
permit  me  to  ask  how  much  you  are  short  of 
the  amount,"  said  Lorry,  considerately  yet 
curiously. 

"Our  minister  of  finance,  Gaspon,  will  be 
able  to  produce  fifteen  million  gavvos  at  the 
stated  time — far  from  enough.  This  amount 
has  been  sucked  from  the  people  from  excess- 
ive levy,  and  has  been  hoarded  for  the  dreaded 
day.  Try  as  we  would,  it  has  been  impossible 
to  raise  the  full  amount.  The  people  have 
been  bled  and  have  responded  nobly,  sacrific- 
ing everything  to  meet  the  treaty  terms  honor- 
ably, but  the  strain  has  been  too  great.  Our 


A   WAR  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES     217 

army  has  cost  us  large  sums.  We  have 
strengthened  our  defenses,  and  could,  should 
we  go  to  war,  defeat  Axphain.  But  we  have 
our  treaty  to  honor;  we  could  not  take  up 
arms  to  save  ourselves  from  that  honest  bond. 
Our  levies  have  barely  brought  the  amount 
necessary  to  maintain  an  army  large  enough  to 
inspire  respect  among  those  who  are  ready  to 
leap  upon  us  the  instant  we  show  the  least 
sign  of  distress.  There  are  about  us  powers 
that  have  held  aloof  from  war  with  us  simply 
because  we  have  awed  them  with  our  show  of 
force.  It  has  been  our  safeguard,  and  there 
is  not  a  citizen  of  Graustark  who  objects  to  the 
manner  in  which  state  affairs  are  conducted. 
They  know  that  our  army  is  an  economy  at 
any  price.  Until  last  spring  we  were  confi- 
dent that  we  could  raise  the  full  amount  due 
Axphain,  but  the  people  in  the  rural  districts 
were  unable  to  meet  the  levies  on  account  of 
the  panic  that  came  at  a  most  unfortunate 
time.  That  is  why  we  were  hurrying  home 
from  your  country,  Mr.  Lorry.  Gaspon  had 
cabled  the  Princess  that  affairs  were  in  a  hope- 
less condition,  begging  her  to  come  home  and 
do  what  she  could  in  a  final  appeal  to  the  peo- 
ple, knowing  the  love  they  had  for  her.  She 
came,  and  has  seen  these  loyal  subjects  offer 


2i8  GRAUSTARK 

their  lives  for  her  and  for  Graustark,  but 
utterly  unable  to  give  what  they  have  not — 
money.  She  asked  them  if  she  should  disband 
the  army,  and  there  was  a  negative  wail  from 
one  end  of  the  land  to  the  other.  Then  the 
army  agreed  to  serve  on  half  pay  until  all  was 
tided  over.  Public  officers  are  giving  their 
services  free,  and  many  of  our  wealthy  people 
have  advanced  loans  on  bonds,  worthless  as 
they  may  seem,  and  still  we  have  not  the  re- 
quired amount." 

"Cannot  the  loan  be  extended  a  few  years?" 
asked  Lorry,  angry  with  the  ruler  in  the  north, 
taking  the  woes  of  Graustark  as  much  to  heart 
as  if  they  were  his  own. 

"Not  one  day!  Not  in  London,  Paris,  nor 
Berlin." 

Lorry  lay  back  and  allowed  Anguish  to  lead 
the  conversation  into  other  channels.  The 
Count  remained  for  half  an  hour,  saying  as  he 
left  that  the  Princess  and  his  wife  had  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  be  remembered  to  their 
guests. 

"Her  Royal  Highness  spent  the  evening  with 
the  ministers  of  finance  and  war,  and  her  poor 
head,  I  doubt  not,  is  racking  from  the  effects 
of  the  consultation.  These  are  weighty  mat- 
ters for  a  girl  to  have  on  her  hands,"  solemnly 


A   WAR  AND  ITS  CONSEQUENCES     219 

stated  the  Count,  pausing  for  an  instant  at  the 
door  of  the  apartment. 

After  he  had  closed  it  the  Americans  looked 
long  and  thoughtfully  at  each  other,  each  feel- 
ing a  respect  for  the  grim  old  gentleman  that 
they  had  never  felt  for  man  before. 

4 '  So  they  are  in  a  devil  of  a  shape, ' '  mused 
Anguish.  "I  tell  you,  Gren,  I  never  knew 
anything  that  made  me  feel  so  badly  as  does 
the  trouble  that  hangs  over  that  girl  and  her 
people.  A  week  ago  I  wouldn't  have  cared  a 
rap  for  Graustark,  but  to-night  I  feel  like 
weeping  for  her. ' ' 

"There  seems  to  be  no  help  for  her,  either," 
said  Lorry,  reflectively. 

"Graustark,  you  mean?" 

"No — I  mean  yes,  of  course, — who  else?" 
demanded  the  other,  who  certainly  had  not 
meant  Graustark. 

"I  believe,  confound  your  selfish  soul,  you'd 
like  to  see  the  nation,  the  crown  and  every- 
thing else  taken  away  from  this  helpless,  har- 
rassed  child.  Then  you'd  have  a  chance, ' '  ex- 
claimed Anguish,  pacing  the  floor,  half  angrily, 
half  encouragingly. 

"Don't  say  that,  Harry,  don't  say  that. 
Don't  accuse  me  of  it,  for  I'll  confess  I  had  in 
my  heart  that  meanest  of  longings — the  selfish, 


220  GRAUSTARK 

base,  heartless  hope  that  you  have  guessed. 
It  hurts  me  to  be  accused  of  it  though,  so  don't 
do  it  again,  old  man.  I'll  put  away  the  miser- 
able hope,  if  I  can,  and  I'll  pray  God  that  she 
may  find  a  way  out  of  the  difficulty. ' ' 

They  went  to  sleep  that  night,  Anguish  at 
once,  Lorry  not  for  hours,  harboring  a  deter- 
mination to  learn  more  about  the  condition  of 
affairs  touching  the  people  of  Graustark  and 
the  heart  of  their  Princess. 


XIII 

UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY 

For  two  days  Lorry  lived  through  intermit- 
tent stages  of  delight  and  despondency.  His 
recovery  from  the  effects  of  the  blow  adminis- 
tered by  Dannox  was  naturally  rapid,  his 
strong  young  constitution  coming  to  the  rescue 
bravely.  He  saw  much  of  the  Princess,  more 
of  the  Countess  Dagmar,  and  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  many  lords  and  ladies  for  whom 
he  cared  but  little  except  when  they  chose  to 
talk  of  their  girlish  ruler.  The  atmosphere 
of  the  castle  was  laden  with  a  depression  that 
could  not  be  overcome  by  an  assimilated  gaiety. 
There  was  the  presence  of  a  shadow  that  grew 
darker  and  nearer  as  the  days  went  by,  and 
there  were  anxious  hearts  tinder  the  brave, 
proud  spirits  of  those  who  held  the  destiny  of 
Graustark  in  their  hands. 

The  princess  could  not  hide  the  trouble  that 
had  sprung  up  in  her  eyes.  Her  laugh,  her 
gay  conversation,  her  rare  composure  and  gen- 
tle hauteur  were  powerless  to  drive  away  the 
haunted,  worried  gleam  in  those  expressive 
221 


223  GRAUSTARK 

eyes  of  blue.  Lorry  had  it  on  his  tongue's 
end  a  dozen  times  during  the  next  day  or  so 
after  the  count's  narrative  to  question  her 
about  the  condition  of  affairs  as  they  appeared 
to  her.  He  wondered  whether  she,  little  more 
than  a  girl,  could  see  and  understand  the  enor- 
mity of  the  situation  that  confronted  her  and 
her  people.  A  strange,  tender  fear  prevented 
him  from  speaking  to  her  of  the  thing  which 
was  oppressing  her  life.  Not  that  he  expected 
a  rebuff  from  her,  but  that  he  could  not  en- 
dure the  thought  of  hearing  her  brave,  calm 
recital  of  the  merciless  story.  He  knew  that 
she  could  narrate  it  all  to  him  more  plainly 
than  had  her  uncle.  Something  told  him  that 
she  was  fully  aware  of  the  real  and  underly- 
ing conditions.  He  could  see,  in  his  imagina- 
tion, the  proud,  resigned  face  and  manner  of 
this  perplexed  Princess,  as  she  would  have 
talked  to  him  of  her  woes,  and  he  could  also 
picture  the  telltale  eyes  and  the  troubled  ex- 
pression that  would  not  be  disguised. 

The  Countess  Dagmar,  when  not  monopolized 
by  the  very  progressive,  or  aggressive  Anguish, 
unfolded  to  Lorry  certain  pages  in  the  per- 
sonal history  of  the  Princess,  and  he,  of  course, 
encouraged  her  confidential  humor,  although 
there  was  nothing  encouraging  in  it  for  him. 


UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY    223 

Down  by  the  great  fountain,  while  the 
soldiers  were  on  parade,  the  fair  but  vol- 
atile Countess  unfolded  to  Lorry  a  story  that 
wrenched  his  heart  so  savagely  that  anger, 
resentment,  helplessness  and  love  oozed  forth 
and  enveloped  him  in  a  multitude  of  emotions 
that  would  not  disperse.  To  have  gone  to  the 
Princess  and  laid  down  his  life  to  save  her 
would  have  given  him  pleasure,  but  he  had 
promised  something  to  her  that  could  not  be 
forgotten  in  a  day.  In  his  swelling  heart  he 
prayed  for  the  time  to  come  when  he  could 
take  her  in  his  arms,  cancel  his  promise  and 
defy  the  troubles  that  opposed  her. 

"She  will  not  mind  my  telling  you,  because 
she  considers  you  the  very  best  of  men,  Mr. 
Lorry,"  said  the  Countess,  who  had  learned 
her  English  under  the  Princess  Yetive's 
tutor.  The  demure,  sympathetic  little  Count- 
ess, her  face  glowing  with  excitement  and  in- 
dignation, could  not  resist  the  desire  to  pour 
into  the  ears  of  this  strong  and  resourceful 
man  the  secrets  of  the  Princess,  as  if  trusting 
to  him,  the  child  of  a  powerful  race,  to  pro- 
vide relief.  It  was  the  old  story  of  the  weak 
appealing  to  the  strong. 

It  seems,  according  to  the  very  truthful  ac- 
count given  by  the  lady,  that  the  Princess  had 


224  GRAUSTARK 

it  in  her  power  to  save  Graustark  from  disgrace 
and  practical  destruction.  The  Prince  of 
Axphain's  son,  Lorenz,  was  deeply  enamoured 
of  her,  infatuated  by  her  marvelous  beauty 
and  accomplishments.  He  had  persuaded  his 
father  to  consider  a  matrimonial  alliance  with 
her  to  be  one  of  great  value  to  Axphain.  The 
old  prince,  therefore,  some  months  before  the 
arrival  of  the  Americans  in  Graustark,  sent  to 
the  Princess  a  substitute  ultimatum,  couched 
in  terms  so  polite  and  conciliatory  that  there 
could  be  no  mistaking  his  sincerity.  He 
agreed  to  give  Graustark  a  new  lease  of  life, 
as  it  were,  by  extending  the  fifteen  years,  or, 
in  other  words,  to  grant  the  conquered  an  ad- 
ditional ten  years  in  which  to  pay  off  the  obli- 
gations imposed  by  the  treaty.  He  further- 
more offered  a  considerable  reduction  in  the 
rate  of  interest  for  the  next  ten  years.  But 
he  had  a  condition  attached  to  this  good  and 
gracious  proposition;  the  marriage  of  Grau- 
stark's  sovereign.  His  ambassador  set  forth 
the  advantages  of  such  an  alliance,  and  de- 
parted with  a  message  that  the  matter  should 
have  most  serious  consideration. 

The  old  Prince's  proposition  was  a  blow  to 
the  Princess,  who  was  placed  in  a  trying  posi- 
tion. By  sacrificing  herself  she  could  save  her 


UNDER  MOON  A  ND  MONA  S  TER  Y    225 

country,  but  in  so  doing  her  life  was  to  be 
plunged  into  interminable  darkness.  She  did 
not  love,  nor  did  she  respect  Lorenz,  who  was 
not  favorably  supplied  with  civilized  intelli- 
gence. The  proposition  was  laid  before  the 
cabinet  and  the  nobility  by  the  Princess  her- 
self, who  said  that  she  would  be  guided  by  any 
decision  they  might  reach.  The  counsellors, 
to  a  man,  refused  to  sacrifice  their  girlish 
ruler,  and  the  people  vociferously  ratified  the 
resolution.  But  the  Princess  would  not  allow 
them  to  send  an  answer  to  Axphain  until  she 
could  see  a  way  clear  to  save  her  people  in 
some  other  manner.  An  embassy  was  sent  to 
the  Prince  of  Dawsbergen.  His  domain 
touched  Graustark  on  the  south,  and  he  ruled 
a  wild,  turbulent  class  of  mountaineers  and 
herdsmen.  This  embassy  sought  to  secure  an 
endorsement  of  the  loan  from  Prince  Gabriel 
sufficient  to  meet  the  coming  crisis.  Gabriel, 
himself  smitten  by  the  charms  of  the  Princess, 
at  once  offered  himself  in  marriage,  agreeing 
to  advance,  in  case  she  accepted  him,  twenty 
million  gavvos,  at  a  rather  high  rate  of  inter- 
est, for  fifteen  years.  His  love  for  her  was  so 
great  that  he  would  pawn  the  entire  princi- 
pality for  an  answer  that  would  make  him  the 
happiest  man  on  earth.  Now,  the  troubled 


226  GRA  USTARK 

Princess  abhorred  Gabriel.  Of  the  two, 
Lorenz  was  much  to  be  preferred.  Gabriel 
flew  into  a  rage  upon  the  receipt  of  this  re- 
buff, and  openly  avowed  his  intention  to  make 
her  suffer.  His  infatuation  became  a  mania, 
and,  up  to  the  very  day  on  which  the  Countess 
told  the  story,  he  persisted  in  his  appeals  to 
the  Princess.  In  person  he  had  gone  to  her 
to  plead  his  suit,  on  his  knees,  grovelling  at 
her  feet.  He  went  so  far  as  to  exclaim  madly 
in  the  presence  of  the  alarmed  but  relentless 
object  of  his  love  that  he  would  win  her  or 
turn  the  whole  earth  into  everything  un- 
pleasant. 

So  it  was  that  the  Princess  of  Graustark, 
erstwhile  Miss  Guggenslocker,  was  being 
dragged  through  the  most  unhappy  affairs  that 
ever  beset  a  sovereign.  Within  a  month  she 
was  to  sign  away  two-thirds  of  her  domain, 
transforming  multitudes  of  her  beloved  and 
loving  people  into  subjects  of  the  hated 
Axphain,  or  to  sell  herself,  body  and  soul,  to 
a  loathsome  bidder  in  the  guise  of  a  suitor. 
And,  with  all  this  confronting  her,  she  had 
come  to  the  realization  of  a  truth  so  sad  and 
distracting  that  it  was  breaking  her  tortured 
heart.  She  was  in  love — but  with  no  royal 
prince!  Of  this,  however,  the  Countess  knew 


UNDER  MOON  AND  MONA  STER  Y    227 

nothing,  so  Lorry  had  one  great  secret  to  cher- 
ish alone. 

"Has  she  chosen  the  course  she  will  pur- 
sue?" asked  Lorry,  as  the  Countess  concluded 
her  story.  His  face  was  turned  away. 

' '  She  cannot  decide.  We  have  wept  together 
over  this  dreadful,  this  horrible  thing.  You 
do  not  know  what  it  means  to  all  of  us,  Mr. 
Lorry.  We  love  her,  and  there  is  not  one  in 
our  land  who  would  sacrifice  her  to  save  this 
territory.  As  for  Gabriel,  Graustark  would 
kill  her  before  she  should  go  to  him.  Still  she 
cannot  let  herself  sacrifice  those  northern  sub- 
jects when  by  a  single  act  she  can  save  them. 
You  see,  the  Princess  has  not  forgotten  that 
her  father  brought  this  war  upon  the  people, 
and  she  feels  it  her  duty  to  pay  the  penalty  of 
his  error,  whatever  the  cost." 

"Is  there  no  other  to  whom  she  can  turn — 
no  other  course?"  asked  Lorry. 

"There  is  none  who  would  assist  us,  bank- 
rupt as  we  are.  There  is  a  question  I  want  to 
ask,  Mr.  Lorry.  Please  look  at  me — do  not 
stare  at  the  fountain  all  the  time.  Why  have 
you  come  to  Edelweiss?"  She  asked  the  ques- 
tion so  boldly  that  his  startled  embarrassment 
was  an  unspoken  confession.  He  calmed  him- 
self and  hesitated  long  before  answering, 


228  GRAUSTARK 

weighing  his  reply.  She  sat  close  beside  him, 
her  clear  gray  eyes  reading  him  like  a  book. 

"I  came  to  see  a  Miss  Guggenslocker,"  he 
answered  at  last. 

"For  what  purpose?  There  must  have  been 
an  urgent  cause  to  bring  you  so  far.  You  are 
not  an  American  banker?" 

"I  had  intended  to  ask  her  to  be  my  wife," 
he  said,  knowing  that  secrecy  was  useless  and 
seeing  a  faint  hope. 

"You  did  not  find  Miss  Guggenslocker." 

"No.     I  have  not  found  her. " 

"And  are  you  going  home  disappointed,  Mr. 
Lorry,  because  she  is  not  here?" 

"I  leave  the  answer  to  your  tender  imagina- 
tion." 

There  was  a  long  pause. 

"May  I  ask  when  you  expect  to  leave  Grau- 
stark?"  she  asked,  somewhat  timidly. 

"Why  do  you  wish  to  know?"  he  asked  in 
turn. 

"Because  I  know  how  hopeless  your  quest 
has  been.  You  have  found  Miss  Guggen- 
slocker, but  she  is  held  behind  a  wall  so  strong 
and  impregnable  that  you  cannot  reach  her 
with  the  question  you  came  to  ask.  You  have 
come  to  that  wall,  and  now  you  must  turn 
back.  I  have  asked,  how  soon?" 


VWDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY    229 

"Not  until  your  Princess  bids  me  take  tip  my 
load  and  go.  You  see,  my  lady,  I  love  to  sit 
beneath  the  shadow  of  the  wall  you  describe. 
It  will  require  a  royal  edict  to  compel  me  to 
abandon  my  position." 

"You  cannot  expect  the  Princess  to  drive 
you  from  her  country, — you  who  have  done 
so  much  for  her.  You  must  go,  Mr.  Lorry, 
without  her  bidding." 

"I  must?" 

"Yes,  for  your  presence  outside  that  wall 
may  make  the  imprisonment  all  the  more  un- 
endurable for  the  one  your  love  cannot  reach. 
Do  you  understand  me?" 

"Has  the  one  behind  the  wall  instructed  you 
to  say  this  to  me?"  he  asked  miserably. 

"She  has  not.  I  do  not  know  her  heart,  but 
I  am  a  woman  and  have  a  woman's  foresight. 
If  you  wish  to  be  kind  and  good  to  her, 
go!" 

"I  cannot!"  he  exclaimed,  his  pent  feelings 
bursting  forth.  "I  cannot  go!" 

"You  will  not  be  so  selfish  and  so  cruel  as 
to  increase  the  horror  of  the  wreck  that  is  sure 
to  come,"  she  said,  drawing  back. 

"You  know,  Countess,  of  the  life-saving 
crews  who  draw  from  the  wrecks  of  ships  lives 
that  were  hopelessly  lost?  There  is  to  be  a 


*3°  GRA  USTARK 

wreck  here ;  is  there  to  be  a  life-saver?  When 
the  night  is  darkest,  the  sea  wildest,  when 
hope  is  gone,  is  not  that  the  time  when  rescue 
is  most  precious?  Tell  me,  you  who  know  all 
there  is  of  this  approaching  disaster?" 

*'I  cannot  command  you  £o  leave  Edelweiss; 
I  can  only  tell  you  that  you  will  have  some- 
thing to  answer  for  if  you  stay,"  said  the 
Countess. 

"Will  you  help  me  if  I  show  to  you  that  I 
can  reach  the  wreck  and  save  the  one  who 
clings  to  it  despairingly?"  he  asked,  smiling, 
suddenly  calm  and  confident. 

"Willingly,  for  I  love  the  one  who  is  going 
down  in  the  sea.  I  have  spoken  to  you  seri- 
ously, though,  and  I  trust  you  will  not  mis- 
understand me.  I  like  you  and  I  like  Mr. 
Anguish.  You  could  stay  here  forever  so  far 
as  I  am  concerned." 

He  thought  long  and  intently  over  what  she 
had  said  as  he  smoked  his  cigar  on  the  great 
balcony  that  night.  In  his  heart  he  knew  he 
was  adding  horror,  but  that  persistent  hope  of 
the  life-saver  came  up  fresh  and  strong  to  com- 
bat the  argument.  He  saw,  in  one  moment, 
the  vast  chasm  between  the  man  and  the  prin- 
cess; in  the  next,  he  laughed  at  the  puny 
space. 


UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY    231 

Down  on  the  promenade  he  could  see  the 
figures  of  men  and  women  strolling  in  the 
moonlight.  To  his  ears  came  the  occasional 
laugh  of  a  man,  the  silvery  gurgle  of  a  woman. 
The  royal  military  band  was  playing  in  the 
stand  near  the  edge  of  the  great  circle.  There 
was  gaiety,  comfort,  charm  and  security  about 
everything  that  came  to  his  eyes  and  ears. 
Was  it  possible  that  this  peace,  unruffled,  was 
so  near  its  end? 

He  smiled  as  he  heard  Harry  Anguish  laugh 
gaily  in  his  good  old  way,  his  ringing  tones 
mingling  with  a  woman's.  There  was  no 
trouble  in  the  hearts  of  the  Countess  and  his 
blithe  comrade.  Behind  him  rose  the  grim 
castle  walls,  from  the  windows  of  which,  here 
and  there,  gleamed  the  lights  of  the  night. 
Where  was  she?  He  had  seen  her  in  the  after- 
noon and  had  talked  with  her,  had  walked  with 
her.  Their  conversation  had  been  bright,  but 
of  the  commonplace  kind.  She  had  said  noth- 
ing to  indicate  that  she  remembered  the  hour 
spent  beside  his  couch  a  day  or  so  before ;  he 
had  uttered  none  of  the  words  that  struggled 
to  rush  from  his  lips, — the  questions,  the 
pleadings,  the  vows.  Where  was  she  now? 
Not  in  that  gay  crowd  below,  for  he  hac{ 
scanned  every  figure  with  the  hawk's  eye. 


232  GRA  USTARK 

Closeted  again,  no  doubt,  with  her  ministers, 
wearying  her  tired  brain,  her  brave  heart  into 
fatigue  without  rest. 

Her  court  still  trembled  with  the  excitement 
of  the  daring  attempt  of  the  abductors  and 
their  swift  punishment.  Functionaries  flocked 
to  Edelweiss  to  inquire  after  the  welfare  of 
the  Princess,  and  indignation  was  at  the  high- 
est pitch.  There  were  theories  innumerable  as 
to  the  identity  of  the  arch-conspirator.  Baron 
Dangloss  was  at  sea  completely.  He  cursed  him- 
self and  everybody  else  for  the  hasty  and  ill- 
timed  execution  of  the  hirelings.  It  was  quite 
evident  that  the  buzzing  wonder  and  intense 
feeling  of  the  people  had  for  the  moment 
driven  out  all  thought  of  the  coming  day  of 
judgment  and  its  bitter  atonement  for  all 
Graustark.  To-day  the  castle*  was  full  of  the 
nobility,  drawn  to  its  walls  by  the  news  that 
had  startled  them  beyond  all  expression.  The 
police  were  at  work,  the  military  trembled  with 
rage,  the  people  clamored  for  the  apprehen- 
sion of  the  man  who  had  been  the  instigator  of 
this  audacity.  The  general  belief  was  that 
some  brigand  chief  from  the  south  had  planned 
the  great  theft  for  the  purpose  of  securing  a 
fabulous  ransom.  Grenfall  Lorry  had  an 
astonishing  theory  in  his  mind,  and  the  more 


UNDER  MOON  A ND  MO N ASTER  Y    233 

he  thought  it  over  the  more  firmly  it  was  im- 
bedded. 

The  warm,  blue  coils  from  the  cigar  wafted 
away  into  the  night,  carrying  with  them  a 
myriad  of  tangled  thoughts, — of  her,  of 
Axphain,  of  the  abductor,  of  himself,  of  every- 
thing. A  light  step  on  the  stone  floor  of  the 
shadowy  balcony  attracted  his  attention.  He 
turned  his  head — and  saw  the  Princess  Yetive. 
She  was  walking  slowly  toward  the  balustrade, 
not  aware  of  his  presence.  There  was  no  cov- 
ering for  the  dark  hair,  no  wrap  about  the 
white  shoulders.  She  wore  an  exquisite  gown 
of  white,  shimmering  with  the  reflections  from 
the  moon  that  scaled  the  mountain  top.  She 
stood  at  the  balustrade,  her  hands  clasping  a 
bouquet  of  red  roses,  her  chin  lifted,  her  eyes 
gazing  toward  the  mountain's  crest,  the  pret- 
tiest picture  he  had  ever  seen.  The  strange 
dizziness  of  love  overpowered  him.  His  hun- 
gry eyes  glanced  upward  towards  the  sky 
which  she  was  blessing  with  her  gaze,  and  be- 
held another  picture,  gloomy,  grim,  cheerless. 

Against  the  moonlit  screen  of  the  universe 
clung  the  black  tower  of  that  faraway  monas- 
tery in  the  clouds,  the  home  of  the  monks  of 
Saint  Valentine.  Out  of  the  world,  above  the 
world,  a  part  of  the  sky  itself,  it  stood  like  the 


234  GRA  USTARK 

spectre  of  a  sentinel  whose  ghostly  guardian- 
ship appalled  and  yet  soothed. 

He  could  not,  would  not  move.  To  have 
done  so  meant  the  desecration  of  a  picture  so 
delicate  that  a  breath  upon  its  surface  would 
have  swept  it  forever  from  the  vision.  How 
long  he  revelled  in  the  glory  of  the  picture  he 
knew  'not,  for  it  was  as  if  he  looked  from  a 
dream.  At  last  he  saw  her  look  down  upon 
the  roses,  lift  them  slowly  and  drop  them  over 
the  rail.  They  fell  to  the  ground  below.  He 
thought  he  understood;  the  gift  of  a  prince 
despised. 

They  were  not  twenty  feet  apart.  He  ad- 
vanced to  her  side,  his  hat  in  one  hand,  his 
stick — the  one  that  felled  the  Viennese — trem- 
bling in  the  other. 

"I  did  not  know  you  were  here,"  she  ex- 
claimed, in  half  frightened  amazement.  "I 
left  my  ladies  inside." 

He  was  standing  beside  her,  looking  down 
into  the  eyes. 

"And  I  am  richer  because  of  your  igno- 
rance," he  said,  softly.  "I  have  seen  a  picture 
that  shall  never  leave  my  memory — never! 
Its  beauty  enthralled,  enraptured.  Then  I 
saw  the  drama  of  the  roses.  Ah,  your  High- 
ness, the  crown  is  not  always  a  mask. ' ' 


UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY    235 

"The  roses  were — were  of  no  consequence," 
she  faltered. 

"I  have  heard  how  you  stand  between  two 
suitors  and  that  wretched  treaty.  My  heart 
has  ached  to  tell  you  how  I  pity  you. ' ' 

"It  is  not  pity  I  need,  but  courage.  Pity 
will  not  aid  me  in  my  duty,  Mr.  Lorry.  It 
stands  plainly  before  me,  this  duty,  but  I  have 
not  the  courage  to  take  it  up  and  place  it 
about  my  neck  forever. ' ' 

"You  do  not,  cannot  love  this  Lorenz?"  he 
asked. 

"Love  him!"  she  cried.  "Ach,  I  forget! 
You  do  not  know  him.  Yet  I  shall  doubtless 
be  his  wife. ' '  There  was  an  eternity  of  de- 
spair in  that  low,  steady  voice. 

"You  shall  not!     I  swear  you  shall  not!" 

"Oh,  he  is  a  prince!  I  must  accept  the 
offer  that  means  salvation  to  Graustark.  Why 
do  you  make  it  harder  with  torture  which  you 
think  is  kindness?  Listen  to  me.  Next  week 
I  am  to  give  my  answer.  He  will  be  here,  in 
this  castle.  My  father  brought  this  calamity 
upon  Graustark ;  I  must  lift  it  from  the  people. 
What  has  my  happiness  to  do  with  it?" 

Her  sudden  strength  silenced  him,  crushed 
him  with  the  real  awakening  of  helplessness. 
He  stood  beside  her,  looking  up  at  the  cold 


236  GRA  USTARK 

monastery,  strangely  conscious  that  she  was 
gazing  toward  the  same  dizzy  height. 

' '  It  looks  so  peaceful  up  there, ' '  she  said  at  last. 

"But  so  cold  and  cheerless,"  he  added, 
drearily.  There  was  another  long  silence  in 
which  two  hearts  communed  through  the  me- 
dium of  that  faraway  sentinel.  ' k  They  have  not 
discovered  a  clue  to  the  chief  abductor,  have 
they?"  he  asked,  in  an  effort  to  return  to  his 
proper  sphere. 

"Baron  Dangloss  believes  he  has  a  clue — a 
meager  and  unsatisfactory  one,  he  admits — and 
to-day  sent  officers  to  Ganlook  to  investigate 
the  actions  of  a  strange  man  who  was  there 
last  week,  a  man  who  styled  himself  the  Count 
of  Arabazon,  and  who  claimed  to  be  of  Vienna. 
Some  Austrians  had  been  hunting  stags  and 
bears  in  the  north,  however,  and  it  is  possible 
he  is  one  of  them."  She  spoke  slowly,  her 
eyes  still  bent  on  the  home  of  the  monks. 

"Your  highness,  I  have  a  theory,  a  bold  and 
perhaps  a  criminal  theory,  but  you  will  allow 
me  to  tell  you  why  I  am  possessed  of  it.  I  am 
aware  that  there  is  a  Prince  Gabriel.  It  is  my 
opinion  that  no  Viennese  is  guilty,  nor  are  the 
brigands  to  be  accused  of  this  masterpiece  in 
crime.  Have  you  thought  how  far  a  man 
may  go  to  obtain  his  heart's  desire?" 


UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY    237 

She  looked  at  him  instantly,  her  eyes  wide 
with  growing  comprehension,  the  solution  to 
the  mystery  darting  into  her  mind  like  a  flash. 

"You  mean "  she  began,  stopping  as  if 

afraid  to  voice  the  suspicion. 

"That  Prince  Gabriel  is  the  man  who  bought 
your  guards  and  hired  Geddos  and  Ostrom  to 
carry  you  to  the  place  where  he  could  own 
you,  whether  you  would  or  no, ' '  said  Lorry. 

"But  he  could  never  have  forced  me  to  marry 
him,  and  I  should,  sooner  or  later,  have  ex- 
posed him. ' '  she  whispered,  argumentatively. 
"He  could  not  expect  me  to  be  silent  and  sub- 
mit to  a  marriage  under  such  circumstances. 
He  knows  that  I  would  denounce  him,  even  at 
the  altar." 

"You  do  not  appreciate  my  estimate  of  that 
gentleman." 

"What  is  to  become  of  me!"  she  almost 
sobbed,  in  an  anguish  of  fear.  "I  see  now — I 
see  plainly!  It  was  Gabriel,  and  he  would 
have  done  as  you  say."  A  shudder  ran 
through  her  figure  and  he  tenderly  whispered 
in  her  ear: 

"The  danger  is  past.  He  can  do  no  more, 
your  Highness.  Were  I  positive  that  he  is  the 
man — and  I  believe  he  is — I  would  hunt  him 
down  this  night." 


238  GRA  USTARK 

Her  eyes  closed  happily  under  his  gaze,  her 
hand  dropped  timidly  from  his  arm  and  a 
sweet  sense  of  security  filled  her  soul. 

"I  am  not  afraid,"  she  murmured. 

"Because  I  am  here?"  he  asked,  bending 
nearer. 

"Because  God  can  bless  with  the  same  hand 
that  punishes,"  she  answered,  enigmatically, 
lifting  her  lashes  again  and  looking  into  his 
eyes  with  a  love  at  last  unmasked.  "He  gives 
me  a  man  to  love  and  denies  me  happiness. 
He  makes  of  me  a  woman,  but  He  does  not 
unmake  me  a  princess.  Through  you,  He 
thwarts  a  villain;  through  you,  He  crushes 
the  innocent.  More  than  ever,  I  thank  you  for 
coming  into  my  life.  You  and  you  alone, 
guided  by  the  God  who  loves  and  despises  me, 
saved  me  from  Gabriel. ' ' 

"I  only  ask "he  began,  eagerly,  but  she 

interrupted. 

"You  should  not  ask  anything,  for  I  have 
said  I  cannot  pay.  I  owe  to  you  all  I  have, 
but  cannot  pay  the  debt." 

"I  shall  not  again  forget,"  he  murmured. 

"To-morrow,  if  you  like,  I  will  take  you 
over  the  castle  and  let  you  see  the  squalor  in 
which  I  exist, — my  throne  room,  my  chapel, 
my  banquet  hall,  my  ball  room,  my  conserva- 


UNDER  MOON  AND  MONASTERY    239 

tory,  my  sepulchre.  You  may  say  it  is  wealth, 
but  I  shall  call  it  poverty,"  she  said,  after 
they  had  watched  the  black  monastery  cut  a 
square  corner  from  the  moon's  circle. 

"To-morrow,  if  you  will  be  so  kind." 

"Perhaps  I  may  be  poorer  after  I  have 
saved  Graustark, ' '  she  said. 

"I  would  to  God  I  could  save  you  from 
that!"  he  said. 

"I  would  to  God  you  could,"  she  said.  Her 
manner  changed  suddenly.  She  laughed 
gaily,  turning  a  light  face  to  his.  "I  hear 
your  friend's  laugh  out  there  in  the  darkness. 
It  is  delightfully  infectious." 


XIV 

THE  EPISODE  OF  THE  THRONE  ROOM 

"This  is  the  throne  room.     Allode!" 

The  Princess  Yetive  paused  before  two  mass- 
ive doors.  It  was  the  next  afternoon,  and 
she  had  already  shown  him  the  palace  of  a 
queen — the  hovel  of  a  pauper ! 

Through  the  afternoon  not  one  word  other 
than  those  which  might  have  passed  between 
good  friends  escaped  the  lips  of  either.  He 
was  all  interest,  she  all  graciousness.  Allode, 
the  sturdy  guard,  swung  open  the  doors,  drew 
the  curtain,  and  stood  aside  for  them  to  pass. 
Into  the  quiet  hall  she  led  him,  a  princess  in 
a  gown  of  gray,  a  courtier  in  tweeds.  Inside 
the  doors  he  paused. 

"And  I  thought  you  were  Miss  Guggen- 
slocker, ' '  he  said.  She  laughed  with  the  glee 
of  a  child  who  has  charmed  and  delighted 
through  surprise. 

"Am  I  not  a  feeble  mite  to  sit  on  that  throne 

and  rule   all  that    comes  within   its  reach?" 

She  directed  his  attention  to  the  throne  at  the 

opposite  end  of  the  hall.     "From   its  seat  I 

340 


EPISODE  OF  THE  THRONE  ROOM     241 

calmly  instruct  gray-haired  statesmen,  weigh 
their  wisdom  and  pass  upon  it  as  if  I  were 
Demosthenes,  challenge  the  evils  that  may 
drive  monarchs  mad,  and  wonder  if  my  crown 
is  on  straight. ' ' 

"Let  me  be  ambassador  from  the  United 
States  and  kneel  at  the  throne,  your  Highness." 

"I  could  not  engage  in  a  jest  with  the  crown 
my  ancestors  wore,  Mr.  Lorry.  It  is  sacred, 
thou  thoughtless  American.  Come,  we  will 
draw  nearer  that  you  may  see  the  beauty  of 
the  workmanship  in  that  great  old  chair. ' ' 

They  stood  at  the  base  of  the  low,  vel- 
veted  stage  on  which  stood  the  chair,  with  its 
high  back,  its  massive  arms  and  legs  ashimmer 
in  the  light  from  the  lofty  windows.  It  was 
of  gold,  inlaid  with  precious  stones — diamonds, 
rubies,  emeralds,  sapphires  and  other  won- 
drous jewels — a  relic  of  ancient  Graustark. 

' '  I  never  sit  in  the  center.  Always  at  one 
side  or  the  other,  usually  leaning  my  elbow 
on  the  arm.  You  see,  the  discussions  are  gen- 
erally so  long  and  dreary  that  I  become  fa- 
tigued. One  time, — I  am  ashamed  to  confess 
it, — I  went  to  sleep  on  the  throne.  That  was 
long  ago.  I  manage  to  keep  awake  very  well 
of  late.  Do  you  like  my  throne  room?" 

"And  to  think  that  it  is  yours'." 


242  GRA  USTARK 

"It  is  this  room  that  gives  me  the  right  to 
be  hailed  with  'Long  live  the  Princess!'  Not 
with  campaign  yells  and  'Hurrah  for  Yetive!' 
How  does  that  sound?  'Hurrah  for  Yetive!'  " 
She  was  laughing  merrily. 

"Don't  say  it!  It  sounds  sacrilegious — re- 
volting!" 

"For  over  three  years — since  I  was  eighteen 
— I  have  been  supreme  in  that  chair.  During 
the  years  of  my  reign  prior  to  that  time  I  sat 
there  with  my  Uncle  Caspar  standing  beside 
me.  How  often  I  begged  him  to  sit  down 
with  me!  There  was  so  much  room  and  he 
certainly  must  have  grown  tired  of  standing. 
One  time  I  cried  because  he  frowned  at  me 
when  I  persisted  in  the  presence  of  a  great 
assemblage  of  nobles  from  Dawsbergen.  It 
seems  that  it  was  a  most  important  audience 
that  I  was  granting,  but  I  thought  more  of  my 
uncle's  tired  old  legs.  I  remember  saying, 
through  my  sobs  of  mortification,  that  I  would 
have  him  beheaded.  You  are  to  guess 
whether  that  startling  threat  created  conster- 
nation or  mirth  " 

"What  a  whimsical  little  princess  you  must 
have  been,  weeping  and  pouting  and  going  to 
sleep,"  he  laughed.  "And  how  sedate  and 
wise  you  have  become." 


EPISODE  OF  THE  THRONE  ROOM     243 

"Thank  you.  How  very  nice  you  are.  I 
have  felt  all  along  that  some  one  would  discern 
my  effort  to  be  dignified  and  sedate.  They 
say  I  am  wise  and  good  and  gracious,  but  that 
is  to  be  expected.  They  said  that  of  sover- 
eigns as  far  back  as  the  deluge,  I've  heard. 
Would  you  really  like  to  see  me  in  that  old 
chair?"  she  asked. 

"Ah,  you  are  still  a  woman,"  he  said,  smil- 
ing at  her  pretty  vanity.  "Nothing  could 
impress  me  more  pleasantly. ' ' 

She  stepped  carelessly  and  impulsively  upon 
the  royal  platform,  leaned  against  the  arm  of 
the  throne,  and  with  the  charming  blush  of 
consciousness  turned  to  him  with  the  quickness 
of  a  guilty  conscience,  eager  to  hear  his  praise 
but  fearful  lest  he  secretly  condemned  her 
conceit.  His  eyes  were  burning  with  the  ad- 
miration that  knows  no  defining,  and  his 
breath  came  quick  and  sharp  through  parted 
lips.  He  involuntarily  placed  a  foot  upon  the 
bottom  step  as  if  to  spring  to  her  side. 

"You  must  not  come  up  here!"  she  cried, 
shrinking  back,  her  hands  extended  in  flutter- 
ing remonstrance.  "I  cannot  permit  that,  at 
all!" 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  cried,  "That  is  all 
the  humble  plebeian  can  say.  That  I  may  be 


244  GRA  USTARK 

more  completely  under  this  fairy  spell,  pray 
cast  about  yourself  the  robe  of  rank  and  take 
up  the  sceptre.  Perhaps  I  may  fall  upon  my 
face." 

"And  hurt  your  head  all  over  again,"  she 
said,  laughing  nervously.  She  hesitated  for 
a  moment,  a  perplexed  frown  crossing  her 
brow.  Then  she  jerked  a  rich  robe  from  the 
back  of  the  throne  and  placed  it  about  her 
shoulders  as  only  a  woman  can.  Taking  up 
the  scepter  she  stood  before  the  great  chair, 
and,  with  a  smile  on  her  lips,  held  it  above 
his  head,  saying  softly: 

"Graustark  welcomes  the  American  prince." 

He  sank  to  his  knee  before  the  real  prin- 
cess, kissed  the  hem  of  her  robe  and  arose 
with  face  pallid.  The  chasm  was  now  endless 
in  its  immensity.  The  princess  gingerly 
seated  herself  on  the  throne,  placed  her  elbow 
on  the  broad  arm,  her  white  chin  in  her  hand, 
and  tranquilly  surveyed  the  voiceless  Ameri- 
can prince. 

"You  have  not  said,  'Thank  you,'  "  she  said, 
finally,  her  eyes  wavering  beneath  his  steady 
gaze. 

"I  am  only  thinking  how  easy  it  would  be 
to  cross  the  gulf  that  lies  between  us.  With 
two  movements  of  my  body  I  can  place  it  be- 


EPISODE  OF  THE  THRONE  ROOM     *45 

fore  you,  with  a  third  I  can  be  sitting  at  your 
side.  It  is  not  so  difficult  after  all,"  he  said, 
hungrily  eyeing  the  broad  chair. 

"No  man,  unless  a  prince,  ever  sat  upon  this 
throne,"  she  said. 

"You  have  called  me  a  prince." 

"Oh,  I  jested,"  she  cried  quickly,  compre- 
hending his  intention.  "I  forbid  you!" 

Her  command  came  too  late,  for  he  was  be- 
side her  on  the  throne  of  Graustark !  She  sat 
perfectly  rigid  for  a  moment,  intense  fear  in 
her  eyes. 

"Do  you  know  what  you  have  done?"  she 
whispered,  miserably. 

"Usurped  the  throne,"  he  replied,  assuming 
an  ease  and  complacence  he  did  not  feel. 
Truly  he  was  guilty  of  unprecedented  pre- 
sumption. 

"You  have  desecrated — desecrated!  Do  you 
hear?"  she  went  on,  paying  no  attention  to  his 
remark. 

"Peccavi!  Ah,  Your  Highness,  I  delight  in 
my  sin.  For  once  I  am  a  power;  I  speak 
from  the  throne.  Yoii  will  not  have  me  ab- 
dicate in  the  zenith  of  my  glory?  Be  kind, 
most  gracious  one.  Besides,  did  you  not  once 
cry  because  your  uncle  refused  to  sit  with  you? 
Had  he  been  the  possessor  of  a  dangerous 


GRA  USTARK 


wound,  as  I  am,  and  had  he  found  himself  so 
weak  that  he  could  stand  no  longer,  I  am  sure 
he  would  have  done  as  I  have  —  sat  down  in 
preference  to  falling  limp  at  your  feet.  You 
do  not  know  how  badly  I  am  wounded,"  he 
pleaded,  with  the  subtlest  double  meaning. 

"Why  should  you  wound  me?"  she  asked, 
plaintively.  "You  have  no  right  to  treat  the 
throne  I  occupy  as  a  subject  for  pranks  and 
indignities.  I  did  not  believe  you  could  be  so 
—  forgetful."  There  was  a  proud  and  pitiful 
resentment  in  her  voice  that  brought  him  to 
his  senses  at  once.  He  had  defiled  her  throne. 
In  shame  and  humiliation  he  cried: 

"I  am  a  fool  —  an  ingrate!  You  have  been 
too  gentle  with  me.  For  this  despicable  act 
of  mine  I  cannot  ask  pardon  and  it  would  be 
beneath  you  to  grant  it.  I  have  hurt  you, 
and  I  can  never  atone.  I  forgot  how  sacred 
is  your  throne.  Let  me  depart  in  disgrace.  '  ' 
He  stood  erect  as  if  to  forsake  the  throne  he 
had  stained,  but  she,  swayed  by  a  complete 
reversal  of  feeling,  timidly,  pleadingly 
touched  his  arm. 

"Stay!  It  is  my  throne,  after  all.  I  shall 
divide  it,  as  well  as  the  sin,  with  you.  Sit 
down  again,  I  beg  of  you.  For  a  brief  spell  I 
would  rule  beside  a  man  who  is  fit  to  be  a  king 


EPISODE  OF  THE  THRONE  ROOM     «47 

but  who  is  a  desecrator.  There  can  be  no 
harm  and  no  one  shall  be  the  wiser  for  this 
sentimental  departure  from  royal  custom. 
We  are  children,  anyhow — mere  children." 

With  an  exclamation  of  delight,  he  resumed 
his  position  beside  her.  His  hand  trembled  as 
he  took .  up  hers  to  carry  it  to  his  lips.  "We 
are  children — playing  with  fire,"  he  mur- 
mured, this  ingrate,  this  fool ! 

She  allowed  her  hand  to  lie  limply  in  his, 
her  head  sinking  to  the  back  of  the  chair. 
When  her  hand  was  near  his  feverish  lips,  cool 
and  white  and  trusting,  he  checked  the  upward 
progress.  Slowly  he  raised  his  eyes  to  study 
her  face,  finding  that  hers  were  closed,  the 
semblance  of  a  smile  touching  her  lips  as  if 
they  were  in  a  happy  dream. 

The  lips!  The  lips!  The  lips!  The  mad- 
ness of  love  rushed  into  his  heart;  the  expect- 
ant hand  was  forgotten;  his  every  hope  and 
every  desire  measured  themselves  against  his 
discretion  as  he  looked  upon  the  tempting 
face.  Could  he  kiss  those  lips  but  once  his 
life  would  be  complete. 

With  a  start  she  opened  her  eyes,  doubtless 
at  the  command  of  the  masterful  ones  above. 
The  eyes  of  blue  met  the  eyes  of  gray  in  a 
short,  sharp  struggle,  and  the  blue  went  down 


248  GRA  USTARK 

in  surrender.  His  lips  triumphed  slowly, 
drawing  closer  and  closer  as  if  restrained  and 
impelled  by  the  same  emotion — arrogant  love. 

"Open  your  eyes,  darling,"  he  whispered, 
and  she  obeyed.  Then  their  lips  met — her 
first  kiss  of  love ! 

She  trembled  from  head  to  foot,  perfectly 
powerless  beneath  the  spell.  Again  he  kissed 
a  princess  on  her  throne.  At  this  second  kiss 
her  eyes  grew  wide  with  terror,  and  she  sprang 
from  his  side,  standing  before  him  like  one 
bereft  of  reason. 

"Oh,  my  God!  What  have  you  done?"  she 
wailed.  He  staggered  to  his  feet,  dizzy  with 
joy. 

"Ha!"  cried  a  gruff  voice  from  the  doorway, 
and  the  guilty  ones  whirled  to  look  upon  the 
witness  to  their  blissful  crime.  Inside  the 
curtains,  with  carbine  leveled  at  the  head  of 
the  American,  stood  Allode,  the  guard,  his 
face  distorted  by  rage.  The  Princess  screamed 
and  leaped  between  Lorry  and  the  threatening 
carbine. 

"Allode!"  she  cried,  in  frantic  terror. 

He  angrily  cried  out  something  in  his  native 
tongue  and  she  breathlessly,  imploringly  re- 
plied. Lorry  did  not  understand  their  words, 
but  he  knew  that  she  had  saved  him  from 


EPfSODE  OF  THE  THRONE  ROOM     249 

death  at  the  hand  of  her  loyal,  erring  guard. 
Allode  lowered  his  gun,  bowed  low  and 
turned  his  back  upon  the  throne. 

"He — he  would  have  killed  you,"  she  said, 
tremulously,  her  face  the  picture  of  combined 
agony  and  relief.  She  remembered  the  blight- 
ing kisses  and  then  the  averted  disaster. 

"You — what  did  you  say  to  him?"  he  asked. 

"I — I — oh,  I  will  not  tell  you,"  she  cried. 

"I  beg  of  you!" 

"I  told  him  that  he  was  to — was  to  put  down 
his  gun." 

"I  know  that,  but  why?"  he  persisted. 

"I — Ach,  to  save  you,  stupid!" 

"How  did  you  explain  the — the "  He 

hesitated,  generously. 

"I  told  him  that  I  had  not  been — that  I  had 
not  been " 

"Say  it!" 

"That  I  had  not  been— offended!"  she 
gasped,  standing  stiff  and  straight,  with  eyes 
glued  upon  the  obedient  guard. 

"You  were  not?"  he  rapturously  cried. 

"I  said  it  only  to  save  your  life!"  she  cried, 
turning  fiercely  upon  him.  "I  shall  never  for- 
give you!  Never!  You  must  go — you  must 
leave  here  at  once !  Do  you  hear?  I  cannot 
have  you  near  me  now— I  cannot  see  you 


250  GRA  USTARK 

again.  Ach,  God!  What  have  I  given  you 
the  right  to  say  of  me?" 

"Stop!     It  is  as  sacred  as " 

"Yes,  yes — I  understand!  I  trust  you,  but 
you  must  go!  Find  some  excuse  to  give  your 
friend  and  go  to-day!  Go  now!"  she  cried, 
intensely,  first  putting  her  hands  to  her  tem- 
ples, then  to  her  eyes. 

Without  waiting  to  hear  his  remonstrance,  if 
indeed  he  had  the  power  to  utter  one,  she 
glided  swiftly  toward  the  curtains,  allowing 
him  to  follow  at  his  will.  Dazed  and  crushed 
at  the  sudden  end  to  everything,  he  dragged 
his  footsteps  after.  At  the  door  she  spoke  in 
low,  imperative  tones  to  the  motionless  Allode, 
who  dropped  to  his  knees  and  muttered  a 
reverential  response.  As  Lorry  passed  be- 
neath the  hand  that  held  the  curtain  aside,  he 
glanced  at  the  face  of  the  man  who  had  been 
witness  to  their  weakness.  He  was  looking 
straight  ahead,  and,  from  his  expression, 
it  could  not  have  been  detected  that  he  knew 
there  was  a  man  on  earth  save  himself.  In  the 
hall  she  turned  to  him,  her  face  cold  and  pale. 

"I  have  faithful  guards  about  me  now.  Al- 
lode has  said  he  did  not  see  you  in  the  throne 
room.  He  will  die  before  he  will  say  other- 
wise," she  said,  her  lips  trembling  with  shame. 


EPISODE  OF  THE  THRONE  ROOM     251 

"By  your  command?" 

"By  my  request.  I  do  not  command  my 
men  to  lie." 

Side  by  side  they  passed  down  the  quiet  hall, 
silent,  thoughtful,  the  strain  of  death  upon 
their  hearts. 

"I  shall  obey  the  only  command  you  have 
given,  then.  This  day  I  leave  the  castle. 
You  will  let  me  come  again— to  see  you? 
There  can  be  no  harm " 

"No!  You  must  leave  Graustark  at  once!" 
she  interrupted,  the  tones  low. 

"I  refuse  to  go!  I  shall  remain  in  Edel- 
weiss, near  you,  just  so  long  as  I  feel  that  I 
may  be  of  service  to  you. ' ' 

"I  cannot  drive  you  out  as  I  would  a  thief," 
she  said,  pointedly. 

At  the  top  of  the  broad  staircase  he  held  out 
his  hand  and  murmured : 

"Good-by,  your  Highness!" 

"Good-by,"  she  said,  simply,  placing  her 
hand  in  his  after  a  moment's  hesitation.  Then 
she  left  him. 

An  hour  later  the  two  Americans,  one 
strangely  subdued,  the  other  curious,  excited 
and  impatient,  stood  before  the  castle  waiting 
for  the  carriage.  Count  Halfont  was  with 
them,  begging  them  to  remain,  as  he  could  see 


*5  2  GRAUSTARK 

no  reason  for  the  sudden  leave-taking.  Lorry 
assured  him  that  they  had  trespassed  long 
enough  on  the  Court's  hospitality,  and  that  he 
would  feel  much  more  comfortable  at  the 
hotel.  Anguish  looked  narrowly  at  his 
friend's  face,  but  said  nothing.  He  was  begin- 
ning to  understand. 

"Let  us  walk  to  the  gates.  The  Count  will 
oblige  us  by  instructing  the  coachman  to  fol- 
low, ' '  said  Lorry,  eager  to  be  off. 

"Allow  me  to  join  you  in  the  walk,  gentle- 
men," said  Count  Caspar,  immediately  instruct- 
ing a  lackey  to  send  the  carriage  after  them. 
He  and  Lorry  walked  on  together,  Anguish 
lingering  behind,  having  caught  sight  of  the 
Countess  Dagmar.  That  charming  and  un- 
conventional piece  of  nobility  promptly  fol- 
lowed the  prime  minister's  example  and  es- 
corted the  remaining  guest  to  the  gate. 

Far  down  the  walk  Lorry  turned  for  a  last 
glance  at  the  castle  from  which  love  had  ban- 
ished him.  Yetive  was  standing  on  the  bal- 
cony, looking  not  at  the  monastery  but  at  the 
exile. 

She  remained  there  long  after  the  carriage 
had  passed  her  gates,  bearing  the  Americans 
swiftly  over  the  white  Castle  Avenue,  and 
there  were  tears  in  her  eyes. 


XV 


THE  BETROTHAL 

Harry  Anguish  was  a  discreet,  forbearing 
fellow.  He  did  not  demand  a  full  explanation 
of  his  friend.  There  was  enough  natural  wit 
in  his  merry  head  to  see  that  in  connection 
with  their  departure  there  was  something  that 
would  not  admit  of  discussion,  even  by  confi- 
dential friends.  He  shrewdly  formed  his  own 
conclusions  and  held  his  peace.  Nor  did  he 
betray  surprise  when  Lorry  informed  him,  in 
answer  to  a  question,  that  he  intended  to  re- 
main in  Edelweiss  for  some  time,  adding  that 
he  could  not  expect  him  to  do  likewise  if  he 
preferred  to  return  to  Paris.  But  Mr.  Anguish 
preferred  to  remain  in  Edelweiss.  Had  not 
the  Countess  Dagmar  told  him  she  would 
always  be  happy  to  see  him  at  the  castle,  and 
had  he  any  reason  to  renounce  its  walls?  And 
so  it  was  that  they  tarried  together. 

Lorry  loitered  aimlessly,  moodily  about  the 

town,    spending    gloomy   days   and   wretched 

nights.     He  reasoned  that  it  were  wisdom  to 

fly,  but  a  force  stronger  than  reason  held  him 

253 


254  GRA  U STARK 

in  Edelweiss.  He  ventured  several  times  to 
the  castle  wall,  but  turned  back  resolutely. 
There  was  hope  in  his  breast  that  she  might 
send  for  him ;  there  was,  at  least,  the  possibility 
of  seeing  her  should  she  ride  through  the 
streets.  Anguish,  on  the  other  hand,  visited 
the  castle  daily.  He  spent  hours  with  the 
pretty  Countess,  undismayed  by  the  noble 
moths  that  fluttered  about  her  flame,  and  he 
was  ever  persistent,  light-hearted  and  gay.  He 
brought  to  Lorry's  ears  all  that  he  could  learn 
of  the  Princess.  Several  times  he  had  seen 
her  and  had  spoken  with  her.  She  inquired 
casually  after  the  health  of  his  friend,  but 
nothing  more.  From  the  Countess  he  ascer- 
tained that  Her  Highness  was  sleeping  soundly, 
eating  heartily  and  apparently  enjoying  the 
best  of  spirits — information  decidedly  irritating 
to  the  one  who  received  it  second-hand. 

They  had  been  at  the  hotel  for  over  a  week 
when  one  afternoon  Anguish  rushed  into  the 
room,  out  of  breath  and  scarcely  able  to  con- 
trol his  excitement. 

"What's  up?"  cried  Lorry.  "Has  the 
Countess  sacked  you?" 

"Not  on  your  coin!  But  something  is  up, 
and  I  am  its  discoverer.  You  remember  what 
you  said  about  suspecting  Prince  Gabriel  of 


THE  BETROTHAL  «55 

being  the  chief  rascal  in  the  abduction  job? 
Well,  my  boy,  I  am  now  willing  to  stake  my 
life  that  he  is  the  man."  The  news-bearer  sat 
down  on  the  edge  of  the  bed  and  drew  the  first 
long  breath  he  had  had  in  a  long  time. 

"Why  do  you  think  so?"  demanded  the 
other,  all  interest. 

' '  Heard  him  talking  just  now.  I  didn't  know 
who  the  fellow  was  at  first,  but  he  was  talking  to 
some  strange-looking  soldiers  as  I  passed.  As 
soon  as  I  heard  his  voice  I  knew  he  was  Mich- 
ael. There  isn't  any  question  about  it,  Lorry. 
I  am  positive.  He  did  not  observe  me,  but  I 
suppose  by  this  time  he  has  learned  that  his 
little  job  was  frustrated  by  two  Americans 
who  heard  the  plot  near  the  castle  gates.  He 
has  nerve  to  come  here,  hasn't  he?" 

"If  he  is  guilty,  yes.  Still,  he  may  feel  se- 
cure because  he  is  a  powerful  prince  and  able 
to  resent  any  accusation  with  a  show  of  force. 
Where  is  he  now?" 

"I  left  him  there.  Come  on!  We'll  go  down 
and  you  can  see  for  yourself. ' ' 

They  hurried  to  the  corridor,  which  was 
swarming  with  men  in  strange  uniforms. 
There  were  a  few  Graustark  officers,  but  the 
majority  of  the  buzzing  conversationalists 
were  dressed  in  a  rich  gray  uniform. 


256  GRA  USTARK 

"Who  are  these  strangers?"  asked  Lorry. 

"Oh,  I  forgot  to  tell  you.  Prince  Lorenz  is 
also  here,  and  these  gray  fellows  are  a  part  of 
his  retinue.  Lorenz  has  gone  on  to  the  castle. 
What's  the  matter?"  Lorry  had  turned  pale 
and  was  reaching  for  the  wall  with  unsteady 
hand. 

"He  has  come  for  his  answer,"  he  said, 
slowly,  painfully. 

"That's  right!  I  hadn't  thought  of  that.  I 
hope  she  turns  him  down.  But  there's  Gabriel 
over  yonder.  See  those  three  fellows  in  blue? 
The  middle  one  is  the  prince." 

Near  the  door  leading  to  the  piazza,  stood 
several  men,  gray  and  blue.  The  man  desig- 
nated as  Gabriel  was  in  the  center,  talking 
gaily  and  somewhat  loudly,  puffing  at  a  ciga- 
rette between  sentences.  He  was  not  tall,  but 
he  was  strongly  and  compactly  built.  His  hair 
and  cropped  beard  were  as  black  as  coal,  his 
eyes  wide,  black  and  lined.  It  was  a  pleasure- 
worn  face,  and  Lorry  shuddered  as  he  thought 
of  the  Princess  in  the  power  of  this  evil-look- 
ing wretch.  They  leisurely  made  their  way  to 
a  spot  near  the  talkers.  There  was  no  mistak- 
ing the  voice.  Prince  Gabriel  and  Michael 
were  one  and  the  same,  beyond  all  doubt.  But 
how  to  prove  it  to  the  satisfaction  of  others? 


THE  BETRO  THA  L  257 

Skepticism  would  follow  any  attempt  to  pro- 
claim the  prince  guilty  because  his  voice 
sounded  like  that  of  the  chief  conspirator.  In 
a  matter  where  whole  nations  were  concerned 
the  gravest  importance  would  be  attached  to 
the  accusation  of  a  ruler.  Satisfying  them- 
selves as  to  the  identity  of  that  peculiar  voice, 
the  friends  passed  through  to  the  piazza.. 

"What's  to  be  done?"  asked  Anguish,  boik 
ing  over  with  excitement. 

"We  must  go  to  Baron  Dangloss,  tell  him  of 
our  positive  discovery,  and  then  consult  Count 
Halfont." 

"And  Her  Royal  Highness,  of  course." 

"Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  said  Lorry,  flicking  the 
ashes  from  his  cigar  with  a  finger  that  was 
now  steady.  He  was  serving  the  Princess 
again. 

They  hurried  to  the  Tower,  and  were  soon 
in  the  presence  of  the  fierce  little  chief  of 
police.  Lorry  had  spent  many  hours  with 
Dangloss  of  late,  and  they  had  become  friends. 
His  grim  old  face  blanched  perceptibly  as  he 
heard  the  assertions  of  the  young  men.  He 
shook  his  head  despairingly. 

"It  may  be  as  you  say,  gentlemen,  but  I  am 
afraid  we  can  do  nothing.  To  charge  a  prince 
with  such  a  crime  and  on  such  evidence  would 


258  GRA  USTARK 

be  madness.  I  am  of  your  belief,  however. 
Prince  Gabriel  is  the  man  I  have  suspected. 
Now  I  am  convinced.  Before  we  can  do  any- 
thing in  such  a  grave  matter  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  consult  the  Princess  and  her  ministers. 
In  case  we  conclude  to  accuse  the  Prince  of 
Dawsbergen,  it  must  be  after  careful  and 
judicious  thought.  There  are  many  things  to 
consider,  gentlemen.  For  my  part,  I  would 
be  overjoyed  to  seize  the  villain  and  to  serve 
him  as  we  did  his  tools,  but  my  hands  are  tied, 
you  see.  I  would  suggest  that  you  go  at  once 
to  the  Princess  and  Count  Halfont,  tell  them  of 
your  suspicions " 

"Not  suspicions,  my  lord, — facts,"  inter- 
rupted Anguish. 

"Well,  then,  facts,  and  ascertain  how  they 
feel  about  taking  up  a  proposition  that  may 
mean  war.  May  I  ask  you  to  come  at  once  to 
me  with  their  answer.  It  is  possible  that  they 
will  call  for  a  consultation  with  the  ministers, 
nobles  and  high  officers.  Still,  I  fear  they  will 
be  unwilling  to  risk  much  on  the  rather  flimsy 
proof  you  can  give.  Gabriel  is  powerful  and 
we  do  not  seek  a  war  with  him.  There  is  an- 
other foe  for  whom  we  are  quietly  whetting  our 
swords."  The  significant  remark  caused  both 
listeners  to  prick  up  their  ears.  But  he  disap- 


THE  BETROTHAL  259 

pointed  their  curiosity,  and  they  were  left  to 
speculate  as  to  whom  the  other  foe  might  be. 
Did  he  mean  that  Graustark  was  secretly,  slyly 
making  ready  to  resist,  treaty  or  no  treaty? 

It  required  prolonged  urging  on  the  part 
of  Anguish  to  persuade  Lorry  to  accompany 
him  to  the  castle,  but,  when  once  determined 
to  go  before  the  Princess  with  their  tale,  he 
was  eager,  impatient  to  cross  the  distance  that 
lay  between  the  hotel  and  the  forbidden 
grounds.  They  walked  rapidly  down  Castle 
Avenue  and  were  soon  at  the  gates.  The 
guard  knew  them,  and  they  were  admitted 
without  a  word.  As  they  hurried  through  the 
park  they  saw  many  strange  men  in  gray, 
gaudy  uniforms,  and  it  occurred  to  Lorry  that 
their  visit,  no  matter  how  great  its  importance, 
was  ill-timed.  Prince  Lorenz  was  holding  the 
center  of  the  stage. 

Anguish,  with  his  customary  impulsiveness, 
overruled  Lorry's  objections,  and  they  pro- 
ceeded toward  the  entrance.  The  guards  of 
the  Princess  saluted  profoundly,  while  the  min- 
ions of  Lorenz  stared  with  ill-bred  wonder  upon 
these  two  tall  men  from  another  world.  It 
could  be  seen  that  the  castle1  was  astir  with 
excitement,  subdued  and  pregnant  with  thriv- 
ing hopes  and  fears.  The  nobility  of  Graustark 


260  GRA  U STARK 

was  there ;  the  visitors  of  Axphain  were  being 
entertained. 

At  the  castle  doors  the  two  met  their  first 
obstacle,  but  they  had  anticipated  its  presence. 
Two  guards  halted  them  peremptorily. 

"We  must  see  Her  Royal  Highness,"  said 
Anguish,  but  the  men  could  not  understand 
him.  They  stoically  stood  their  ground,  shak- 
ing their  heads. 

"Let  us  find  some  one  who  can  understand 
us,"  advised  Lorry,  and  in  a  few  moments 
they  presented  themselves  before  the  guards, 
accompanied  by  a  young  nobleman  with  whom 
they  had  acquaintance.  He  succeeded  in  ad- 
vancing them  to  the  reception  hall  inside  the 
doors  and  found  for  them  a  servant  who  would 
carry  a  message  to  the  Princess  if  it  were  pos- 
sible to  gain  her  presence.  The  nobleman 
doubted  very  much,  however,  if  the  missive 
hastily  written  by  Lorry  could  find  its  way  to 
her,  as  she  had  never  been  so  occupied  as  now. 

Lorry,  in  his  brief  note,  prayed  for  a  short 
audience  for  himself  and  Mr.  Anguish,  request- 
ing that  Count  Halfont  be  present.  He  in- 
formed her  that  his  mission  was  of  the  most 
imperative  nature  and  that  it  related  to  a  dis- 
covery made  concerning  the  Prince  who  had 
tried  to  abduct  her.  In  conclusion,  he  wrote 


THE  BETRO  THAL  26 1 

that^Baron  Dangloss  had  required  him  to  lay 
certain  facts  before  her  and  that  he  had  come 
with  no  intention  to  annoy  her. 

While  they  sat  in  the  waiting  room  they 
saw,  through  the  glass  doors,  dozens  of  richly 
attired  men  and  women  in  the  hall  beyond. 
They  were  conversing  animatedly,  Graustark 
men  and  women  with  dejected  faces,  Ax- 
phainians  with  exultation  glowing  in  every 
glance.  Lorry's  heart  sank  within  him.  It 
seemed  hours  before  the  servant  returned  to 
bid  them  follow  him.  Then  his  blood  leaped 
madly  through  veins  that  had  been  chilled  and 
lifeless.  He  was  to  see  Her  again ! 

Their  guide  conducted  them  to  a  small  ante- 
room, where  he  left  them.  A  few  moments 
later  the  door  opened  and  there  swept  quickly 
into  the  room — the  Countess  Dagmar,  not  the 
Princess.  Her  face  was  drawn  with  the  trouble 
and  sorrow  she  was  trying  so  hard  to  conceal. 
Both  men  were  on  their  feet  in  an  instant, 
advancing  to  meet  her. 

"The  Princess?    Is  she  ill?"  demanded  Lorry. 

"Not  ill,  but  mad,  I  fear,"  answered  she, 
giving  a  hand  to  each.  "Mr.  Lorry,  she  bids 
me  say  to  you  that  she  cannot  see  you.  She 
appreciates  the  importance  of  your  mission  and 
thanks  you  for  the  interest  you  have  taken. 


262  GRA  USTARK 

Also,  she  authorizes  me  to  assure  you  that 
nothing  can  be  done  at  present  regarding  the 
business  on  which  you  come." 

"She  refuses  to  see  us,"  said  he,  slowly,  his 
face  whiter  than  ever. 

"Nay;  she  begs  that  you  will  excuse  her. 
Her  Highness  is  sorely  worn  and  distressed  to- 
day, and  I  fear  cannot  endure  all  that  is  hap- 
pening. She  is  apparently  calm  and  composed, 
but  I,  who  know  her  so  well,  can  see  the  strain 
beneath." 

"Surely  she  must  see  the  urgency  of  quick 
action  in  this  matter  of  ours, ' '  cried  Anguish, 
half  angrily.  "We  are  not  dogs  to  be  kicked 
out  of  the  castle.  We  have  a  right  to  be 
treated  fairly ' ' 

"We  cannot  censure  the  Princess,  Harry," 
said  Lorry,  calmly.  "We  have  come  because 
we  would  befriend  her,  and  she  sees  fit  to  re- 
ject our  good  offices.  There  is  but  one  thing 
left  for  us  to  do — depart  as  we  came. ' ' 

"But  I  don't  like  it  a  little  bit,"  growled  the 
other. 

"If  you  only  knew,  Mr.  Anguish,  you  would 
not  be  so  harsh  and  unjust,"  remonstrated  the 
lady,  warmly.  Turning  to  Lorry  she  said: 
"She  asked  me  to  hand  you  this  and  to  bid  you 
retain  it  as  a  token  of  her  undying  esteem." 


THE  BETROTHAL  263 

She  handed  him  a  small,  exquisite  miniature 
of  the  Princess,  framed  in  gold  inlaid  with 
rubies.  He  took  it  dumbly  in  his  fingers,  but 
dared  not  look  at  the  portrait  it  contained. 
With  what  might  have  seemed  disrespect  he 
dropped  the  treasure  into  his  coat  pocket. 

"Tell  her  I  shall  always  retain  it  as  a  token 
of  her — esteem,"  he  said.  "And  now  may  I 
ask  whether  she  handed  my  note  to  her  uncle, 
the  Count?" 

The  Countess  blushed  in  a  most  unaccount- 
able manner. 

"Not  while  I  was  with  her,"  she  said,  re- 
covering the  presence  of  mind  she  apparently 
had  lost. 

"She  destroyed  it,  I  presume,"  said  he, 
laughing  harshly. 

"I  saw  her  place  it  in  her  bosom,  sir,  and 
with  the  right  hand,"  cried  the  Countess,  as  if 
betraying  a  state  secret. 

"In  her — you  are  telling  me  the  truth?"  cried 
he,  his  face  lighting  up. 

"Now,  see  here,  Lorry,  don't  begin  to 
question  the  Countess's  word.  I  won't  stand 
for  that, "  interposed  Anguish,  good-humoredly. 

"I  should  be  more  than  base  to  say  falsely 
that  she  had  done  anything  so  absurd,"  said 
the  Countess,  indignantly. 


164  GRA  USTARK 

"Where  is  she  now?"  asked  Lorry. 

"In  her  boudoir.  The  Prince  Lorenz  is  with 
her — alone." 

"What!"  he  cried,  jealousy  darting  into  his 
existence.  He  had  never  known  jealousy  be- 
fore. 

"They  are  betrothed,"  said  she,  with  an 
effort.  There  was  a  dead  silence,  broken  by 
Lorry's  deep  groan  as  he  turned  and  walked 
blindly  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  room.  He 
stopped  in  front  of  a  huge  painting  and  stared 
at  it,  but  did  not  see  a  line  or  a  tint. 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  she  has  accepted?" 
half  whispered  Anguish. 

"Nothing  less." 

"Thank  God,  you  are  only  a  Countess,"  he 
said,  tenderly. 

"Why — why — what  difference  can  it  make — 
I  mean,  why  do  you  say  that?"  she  stammered, 
crimson  to  her  hair. 

"Because  you  won't  have  to  sell  yourself  at 
a  sacrifice,"  he  said,  foolishly.  Lorry  came 
back  to  them  at  this  juncture,  outwardly  calm 
and  deliberate. 

"Tell  us  about  it,  pray.  We  had  guessed  as 
much." 

"Out  there  are  his  people, — the  wretches!" 
she  cried,  vindictively,  her  pretty  face  in  a 


THE  BETROTHAL  865 

helpless  frown.  **  To-day  was  the  day,  you. 
know,  on  which  he  was  to  have  his  answer. 
He  came  and  knelt  in  the  audience  chamber. 
All  Graustark  had  implored  her  to  refuse  the 
hated  offer,  but  she  bade  him  rise,  and  there, 
before  us  all,  promised  to  become  his  bride. 

"The  greatest  sorrow  Graustark  has  ever 
known  grows  out  of  that  decision.  She  is 
determined  to  save  for  us  what  her  father's 
folly  lost.  To  do  this  she  becomes  the  bride  of 
a  vile  wretch,  a  man  who  soils  her  pure  nature 
when  he  thinks  of  her.  Oh,  we  sought  to 
dissuade  her, — we  begged,  we  entreated,  but 
without  avail.  She  will  not  sacrifice  one  foot 
of  Graustark  to  save  herself.  See  the  tri- 
umphant smiles  on  their  faces — the  brutes!" 
She  pointed  maliciously  to  the  chattering  visit- 
ors in  the  hall.  "Already  they  think  the  castle 
theirs.  The  union  of  Graustark  and  Axphain ! 
Just  what  they  most  desired,  but  we  could  not 
make  her  see  it  so." 

"Is  the  day  set?"  asked  Lorry,  bravely,  after 
a  moment's  silent  inspection  of  the  dark- 
browed  victors. 

"Yes,  and  there  is  to  be  no  delay.  The 
marriage  contract  has  already  been  signed. 
The  date  is  November  aoth,  the  day  on  which 
we  are  to  account  to  Bolaroz  for  our  war  debt. 


266  GRA  U STARK 

/The  old  Prince's  wedding  gift  to  Graustark  is 
to  be  a  document  favoring  us  witn  a  ten  years' 
extension,"  she  said,  scornfully. 

"And  where  is  she  to  live?" 

"Here,  of  course.  She  is  Graustark's  ruler, 
and  here  she  insists  on  abiding.  Just  contem- 
plate our  court!  Over-run  with  those  Axphain 
dogs!  Ah,  she  has  wounded  Graustark  more 
than  she  has  helped  her." 

There  was  nothing  more  to  be  said  or  done, 
so,  after  a  few  moments,  the  Americans  took 
their  departure.  The  Countess  bade  them 
farewell,  saying  that  she  must  return  to  the 
Princess. 

"I'll  see  you  to-morrow,"  said  Anguish, 
with  rare  assurance  and  the  air  of  an  old  and 
indispensable  friend. 

"And  you,  Mr.  Lorry?"  she  said,  curiously. 

"I  am  very  much  occupied,"  he  mumbled. 

"You  do  wrong  in  seeking  to  deceive  me," 
she  whispered,  as  Anguish  passed  through  the 
door  ahead  of  them.  "I  know  why  you  do  not 
come." 

"Has  she  told  you?" 

"I  have  guessed.  Would  that  it  could  have 
been  you  and  not  the  other." 

"One  cannot  be  a  man  and  a  prince  at  the 
same  time,  I  fancy,"  he  said,  bitterly. 


THE  BETROTHAL  267 

"Nor  can  one  be  a  princess  and  a  woman." 

Lorry  recalled  the  conversation  in  the  sick- 
room two  weeks  before  and  smiled  ironically. 
The  friendly  girl  left  them  at  the  door  and 
they  passed  out  of  the  castle. 

"I  shall  leave  Edelweiss  to-morrow,"  said 
one,  more  to  himself  than  to  his  companion,  as 
they  crossed  the  parade.  The  other  gave  a 
start  and  did  not  look  pleased.  Then  he  in- 
stinctively glanced  toward  the  castle. 

"The  Princess  is  at  her  window,"  he  cried, 
clutching  Lorry's  arm  and  pointing  back.  But 
the  other  refused  to  turn,  walking  on  blindly. 
"You  ought  not  to  have  acted  like  that,  Gren," 
said  Anguish,  a  few  moments  later.  "She  saw 
me  call  your  attention  to  her,  and  she  saw  you 
refuse  to  look  back.  I  don't  think  that  you 
should  have  hurt  her. "  Lorry  did  not  respond, 
and  there  was  no  word  between  them  until 
they  were  outside  the  castle  gates. 

"You  may  leave  to-morrow,  Lorry,  if  you 
like,  but  I'm  going  to  stay  a  while,"  said 
Harry,  a  trifle  confusedly. 

"Haven't  you  had  enough  of  the  place?" 

"I  don't  care  a  whoop  for  the  place.  You 
see,  it's  this  way:  I'm  just  as  hard  hit  as  you, 
and  it  is  not  a  Princess  that  I  have  to  contend 
with." 


a68  GRA  USTARK 

"You  mean  that  you  are  In  love  with  the 
Countess?" 

"Emphatically." 

"I'm  sorry  for  you." 

"Think  she'll  turn  me  down?" 

"Unless  you  buy  a  title  of  one  of  these  miser- 
able counts  or  dukes." 

"Oh,  I'm  not  so  sure  about  that.  These 
counts  and  dukes  come  over  and  marry  our 
American  girls.  I  don't  see  why  I  can't  step 
in  and  pick  out  a  nice  little  Countess  if  I  want 
to." 

"She  is  not  as  avaricious  as  the  counts  and 
dukes,  I'll  wager.  She  cares  nothing  for  your 
money." 

"Well,  she's  as  poor  as  a  church  mouse," 
said  the  other,  doggedly. 

"The  Countess  poor?    How  do  you  know?" 

"I  asked  her  one  day  and  she  told  me  all 
about  it,"  said  Anguish. 


XVI 

A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT 

*'I  feel  like  spending  the  rest  of  my  days  in 
that  monastery  up  there,"  said  Lorry,  after 
dinner  that  evening.  They  were  strolling 
about  the  town.  One  was  determined  to  leave 
the  city,  the  other  firm  in  his  resolve  to  stay. 
The  latter  won  the  day  when  he  shrewdly,  if 
explosively,  reminded  the  former  that  it  was 
their  duty  as  men  to  stay  and  protect  the  Prin- 
cess from  the  machinations  of  Gabriel,  that 
knave  of  purgatory.  Lorry,  at  last  recognizing 
the  hopelessness  of  his  suit,  was  ready  to  throw 
down  his  arms  and  abandon  the  field  to  supe- 
rior odds.  His  presumption  in  aspiring  for 
the  hand  of  a  Princess  began  to  touch  his  sense 
of  humor,  and  he  laughed,  not  very  merrily,  it 
is  true,  but  long  and  loudly,  at  his  folly.  At 
first  he  cursed  the  world  and  every  one  in  it, 
giving  up  in  despair,  but  later  he  cursed  only 
himself.  Yet,  as  he  despaired  and  scoffed,  he 
felt  within  himself  an  ever-present  hope  that 
luck  might  turn  the  tide  of  battle. 

This  puny  ray  grew  perceptibly  when  An- 


270  GRAUSTARK 

guish  brought  him  to  feel  that  she  needed  his 
protection  from  the  man  who  had  once  sought 
to  despoil  and  who  might  reasonably  be  ex- 
pected to  persevere.  He  agreed  to  linger  in 
Edelweiss,  knowing  that  each  day  would  add 
pain  to  the  torture  he  was  already  suffering, 
his  sole  object  being,  he  convinced  himself,  to 
frustrate  Gabriel's  evil  plans. 

Returning  late  in  the  evening  from  their 
stroll,  they  entered  a  cafe"  celebrated  in  Edel- 
weiss. In  all  his  life  Lorry  had  never  known 
the  loneliness  that  makes  death  welcome. 
To-night  he  felt  that  he  could  not  live,  so  mad- 
dening was  the  certainty  that  he  could  never 
regain  joy.  His  heart  bled  with  the  longing  to 
be  near  her  who  dwelt  inside  those  castle  walls. 
He  scoffed  and  grieved,  but  grieved  the 
more. 

The  cafe*  was  crowded  with  men  and  women. 
In  a  far  corner  sat  a  party  of  Axphain  nobles, 
their  Prince,  a  most  democratic  fellow,  at  the 
head  of  a  long  table.  There  were  songs,  jests 
and  boisterous  laughter.  The  celebration 
grew  wilder,  and  Lorry  and  Anguish  crossed 
the  room,  and,  taking  seats  at  a  table,  ordered 
wine  and  cigars,  both  eager  for  a  closer  view  of 
the  Prince.  How  Lorry  loathed  him ! 

Lorenz   was  a  good-looking  young  fellow, 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT  271 

little  more  than  a  boy.  His  smooth  face  was 
flushed,  and  there  was  about  him  an  air  of  dis- 
sipation that  suggested  depravity  in  its  ad- 
vanced stage.  The  face  that  might  have  been 
handsome  was  the  reflection  of  a  rout,  dashing, 
devilish.  He  was  fair-haired  and  tall,  taller 
than  his  companions  by  half  a  head.  With 
reckless  abandon  he  drank  and  sang  and  jested, 
arrogant  in  his  flighty  merriment.  His  cohorts 
were  not  far  behind  him  in  riotous  wit. 

At  length  one  of  the  revelers,  speaking  in 
German,  called  on  Lorenz  for  a  toast  to  the 
Princess  Yetive,  his  promised  bride.  Without 
a  moment's  hesitation  the  Prince  sprang  to  his 
feet,  held  his  glass  aloft,  and  cried: 

"Here's  to  the  fairest  of  the  fair,  sweet 
Yetive,  so  hard  to  win,  too  good  to  lose.  She 
loves  me,  God  bless  her  heart!  And  I  love 
her,  God  bless  my  heart,  too!  For  each  kiss 
from -her  wondrous  lips  I  shall  credit  myself 
with  one  thousand  gawos.  That  is  the  price 
of  a  kiss." 

"I'll  give  two  thousand!"  roared  one  of  the 
nobles,  and  there  was  a  laugh  in  which  the 
Prince  joined. 

"Nay!  I'll  riot  sell  them  now.  In  after 
years,  when  she  has  grown  old  and  her  lips  are 
parched  and  dry  from  the  sippings  I  have  had, 


272  GRAUSTARK 

I'll  sell  them  all  at  a  bargain.  Alas,  sh$  has 
not  yet  kissed  me!" 

Lorry's  heart  bounded  with  joy,  thougl  his 
hands  were  clenched  in  rage. 

"She  will  kiss  me  to-morrow.  To-morroAr  I 
shall  taste  what  no  other  man  has  toucl  ed, 
what  all  men  have  coveted.  And  I'll  be 
generous,  gentlemen.  She  is  so  fair  that  y  jur 
foul  mouths  would  blight  with  but  one  caress 
upon  her  tender  lips,  and  yet  you  shall  no(  be 
deprived  of  bliss.  I  shall  kiss  her  thrice  for 
each  of  you.  Let  me  count :  thrice  eleven  is 
thirty-three.  Aye,  thirty-three  of  my  kisses 
shall  be  wasted  for  the  sake  of  my  friends, 
lucky  dogs!  Drink  to  my  Princess!" 

"Bravo!"  cried  the  others,  and  the  glasses 
were  raised  to  lip. 

A  chair  was  overturned.  The  form  of  a  man 
landed  suddenly  at  the  side  of  the  Piince  and.  a 
rough  hand  dashed  the  glass  from  his  fingers, 
the  contents  flying  over  his  immaculate  Eng- 
lish evening  dress. 

"Don't  you  dare  to  drink  that  toast!"  cried  a 
voice  in  his  astonished  ear,  a  voice  speaking  in 
excited  German.  He  whirled  and  saw  a  scowl- 
ing face  beside  his  own,  a  pair  of  gray  eyes 
that  flashed  fire. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  he  demanded,  anger 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT          273 

replacing  amazement.  The  other  members  of 
his  party  stood  as  if  spell-bound. 

"I  mean  that  you  speak  of  the  Princess  of 
Graustark.  Do  you  understand  that,  you 
miserable  cur?" 

"Oh!"  screamed  the  Prince,  convulsed  with 
rage,  starting  back  and  instinctively  reaching 
for  the  sword  he  did  not  carry.  "You  shall 
pay  for  this!  I  will  teach  you  to  inter- 
fere  " 

"I'll  insult  you  more  decidedly  just  to  avoid 
misapprehension,"  snarled  Lorry,  swinging  his 
big  fist  squarely  upon  the  mouth  of  the  Prince. 
His  Royal  Highness  landed  under  a  table  ten 
feet  away. 

Instantly  the  caf6  was  in  an  uproar.  The 
stupefied  Axphainians  regained  their  senses 
and  a  general  assault  was  made  upon  the  hot- 
headed American.  He  knocked  another  down, 
Harry  Anguish  coming  to  his  assistance  with 
several  savage  blows,  after  which  the  Graustark 
spectators  and  the  waiters  interfered.  It  was 
all  over  in  an  instant,  yet  a  sensation  that 
would  live  in  the  gossip  of  generations  had 
been  created.  A  Prince  of  the  realm  had  been 
brutally  assaulted!  Holding  his  jaw,  Lorenz 
picked  himself  from  the  floor,  several  of  his 
friends  running  to  his  aid.  There  was  blood 


274  GRAUSTARK 

on  his  lips  and  chin;  it  trickled  to  his  shirt 
front.  For  some  moments  he  stood  panting, 
glaring  at  Lorry's  mocking  face. 

"I  am  Lorenz  of  Axphain,  sir,"  he  said  at 
last,  his  voice  quivering  with  suppressed 
anger. 

"It  shall  be  a  pleasure  to  kill  you,  Lorenz," 
observed  his  adversary,  displaying  his  igno- 
rance of  lese-majeste". 

Anguish,  pale  and  very  much  concerned, 
dragged  him  away,  the  Prince  leaving  the  cafe" 
ahead  of  them,  followed  by  his  chattering, 
cursing  companions.  Prince  Gabriel  was 
standing  near  the  door  as  they  passed  out. 
He  looked  at  the  Americans  sharply,  and 
Anguish  detected  something  like  triumphant 
joy  in  his  eyes. 

"Good  Lord,  Lorry;  this  means  a  duel! 
Don't  you  know  that?"  cried  he,  as  they  started 
upstairs. 

"Of  course,  I  do.  And  I'm  going  to  kill 
that  villain,  too,"  exclaimed  Lorry,  loud 
enough  to  be  heard  from  one  end  of  the  room 
to  the  other. 

"This  is  horrible,  horrible!  Let  me  square 

it  up  some  way  if "  began  the  alarmed 

Anguish 

"Square  it  up!     Look  here,  Harry  Anguish, 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT          2 75 

I  am  the  one  who  will  do  the  squaring.  If  he 
wants  a  duel  he  can  have  it  at  any  old  time  and 
in  any  style  he  desires." 

4 'He  may  kill  you!" 

"Not  while  a  just  God  rules  over  our  des- 
tinies. I'll  take  my  chances  with  pistols,  and 
now  let  me  tell  you  one  thing,  my  boy:  he'll 
never  live  to  touch  his  lips  to  hers,  nor  will 
there  be  a  royal  wedding.  She  cannot  marry 
a  dead  man."  He  was  beside  himself  with 
excitement  and  it  was  fully  half  an  hour  before 
Anguish  could  bring  him  to  a  sensible  discus- 
sion of  the  affair.  Gradually  he  became  cool, 
and,  the  fever  once  gone,  he  did  not  lose  his 
head  again. 

"Choose  pistols  at  ten  paces  and  at  eight  to- 
morrow, ' '  he  said,  nonchalantly,  as  a  rap  at  the 
door  of  their  apartment  announced  the  arrival 
of  the  Prince's  friend. 

Anguish  admitted  two  well-dressed,  black- 
bearded  men,  both  of  whom  had  sat  at  the 
Prince's  table  in  the  cafe".  They  introduced 
themselves  as  the  Duke  of  Mizrox  and  Colonel 
Attobawn.  Their  visit  was  brief,  formal  and 
conclusive. 

"We  understand  that  you  are  persons  of  rank 
in  your  own  America?"  said  the  Duke  of  Miz- 
rox, after  a  few  moments. 


276  GRA  USTARK 

"We  are  sons  of  business  men,"  responded 
Mr.  Anguish. 

"Oh,  well,  I  hardly  know.  But  his  Highness 
is  very  willing  to  waive  his  rank,  and  to  grant 
you  a  meeting. ' ' 

"I'm  delighted  by  his  Highness'  condescen. 
sion,  which  I  perfectly  understand,"  observed 
Mr.  Anguish.  "Now,  what  have  we  to  settle, 
gentlemen?" 

"The  detail  of  weapons." 

When  Anguish  announced  that  his  principal 
chose  pistols  a  strange  gleam  crept  into  the 
eyes  of  the  Axphainians,  and  they  seemed  satis- 
fied. Colonel  Attobawn  acted  as  interpreter 
during  this  short  but  very  important  interview 
which  was  carried  on  in  the  Axphain  language. 
Lorry  sat  on  the  window-sill,  steadfastly  gazing 
into  the  night.  The  visitors  departed  soon, 
and  it  was  understood  that  Prince  Lorenz 
would  condescend  to  meet  Mr.  Lorry  at  eight 
o'clock  on  the  next  morning  in  the  valley 
beyond  the  castle,  two  miles  from  town. 
There  was  no  law  prohibiting  duels  in  Grau- 
stark. 

"Well,  you're  in  for  it,  old  man,"  said 
Anguish,  gloomily,  his  chin  in  his  hands  as  he 
fastened  melancholy  eyes  upon  his  friend. 

"Don't  worry  about  me,   Harry.      There's 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT  277 

only  one  way  for  this  thing  to  end.  His  Royal 
Highness  is  doomed."  Lorry  spoke  with  the 
earnestness  and  conviction  of  one  who  is  per- 
mitted to  see  into  the  future. 

Calmly  he  prepared  to  write  some  letters, 
not  to  say  farewell,  but  to  ej^ain  to  certain 
persons  the  cause  of  the  duel  and  to  say  that 
he  gloried  in  the  good  fortune  which  had  pre- 
sented itself.  One  of  these  letters  was  ad- 
dressed to  his  mother,  another  to  the  father  of 
Prince  Lorenz,  and  the  last  to  the  Princess  of 
Graustark.  To  the  latter  he  wrote  much  that 
did  not  appear  in  the  epistles  directed  to  the 
others.  Anguish  had  been  in  his  room  more 
than  an  hour,  and  had  frequently  called  to  his 
friend  and  begged  him  to  secure  what  rest  he 
could  in  order  that  their  nerves  might  be  steady 
in  the  morning.  But  it  was  not  until  after 
midnight  that  the  duellist  sealed  the  envelopes, 
directed  them  and  knocked  at  his  second's  door 
to  say: 

"I  shall  entrust  these  letters  to  you,  Harry. 
You  must  see  that  they  start  on  their  way  to- 
morrow. " 

Then  he  went  to  bed  and  to  sleep. 

At  six  his  second,  who  had  slept  but  little, 
called  him.  They  dressed  hurriedly  and  pre- 
pared for  the  ride  to  the  valley.  Their  own 


278  GRAUSTARK 

new  English  bull-dog  revolvers  were  to  serve 
as  weapons  in  the  coming  combat,  and  a  car- 
riage was  to  be  in  waiting  for  them  in  a  side 
street  at  seven  o'clock. 

Before  leaving  their  room  they  heard  evi- 
dences of  commotion  in  the  hotel,  and  were 
apprehensive  lest  the  inmates  had  learned  of  the 
duel  and  were  making  ready  to  follow  the 
fighters  to  the  appointed  spot.  There  was  a 
confusion  of  voices,  the  sound  of  rushing  feet, 
the  banging  of  doors,  the  noise  increasing  as 
the  two  men  stepped  into  the  open  hall.  They 
were  amazed  to  see  half-dressed  men  and 
women  standing  or  running  about  the  halls, 
intense  excitement  in  their  faces  and  in  their 
actions.  White  uniformed  policemen  were 
flocking  into  the  corridors;  soldiers,  coatless 
and  hatless,  fresh  from  their  beds,  came  dash- 
ing upon  the  scene.  There  were  excited  cries, 
angry  shouts  and,  more  mystifying  than  all, 
horrified  looks  and  whispers. 

"What  has  happened?"  asked  Lorry,  stop- 
ping near  the  door. 

"It  can't  be  a  fire.  Look!  The  door  to  that 
room  down  there  seems  to  be  the  center  of 
attraction.  Hold  on!  Don't  go  over  there, 
Lorry.  There  may  be  something  to  unnerve 
you,  and  that  must  not  happen  now.  Let  us 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT  279 

go  down  this  stairway — it  leads  to  a  side 
entrance,  I  think."  They  were  half  way 
down  the  stairs  when  the  thunder  of  rushing 
feet  in  the  hall  above  came  to  their  ears,  caus- 
ing them  to  hesitate  between  curiosity  and 
good  judgment.  "They  are  coming  this  way." 

"Hear  them  howl!  What  the  devil  can  be 
the  cause  of  all  this  rumpus?"  cried  the  other. 

At  that  instant  a  half  dozen  police-guards 
appeared  at  the  head  of  the  stairs.  Upon  see- 
ing the  Americans  they  stopped  and  turned  as 
if  to  oppose  a  foe  approaching  from  the  oppo- 
site direction.  Baron  Dangloss  separated  him- 
self from  the  white  coats  above  and  called  to 
the  men  below.  In  alarm  they  started  for  the 
street  door.  He  was  with  them  in  an  instant, 
his  usually  red  face  changing  from  white  to 
purple,  his  anxious  eyes  darting  first  toward 
the  group  above  and  then  toward  the  be- 
wildered Americans. 

"What's  the  matter?"  demanded  Lorry. 

"There!  See!"  cried  Dangloss,  and  even  as 
he  spoke  a  conflict  began  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs,  the  police,  augmented  by  a  few  soldiers, 
struggling  against  a  howling,  enraged  mass  of 
Axphainians.  Dangloss  dragged  his  reluctant 
charges  through  a  small  door,  and  they  found 
themselves  in  the  baggage-room  of  the  hotel. 


z8o  GRA  USTARK 

Despite  their  queries  he  offered  no  explanation, 
but  rushed  them  along,  passing  out  of  the 
opposite  door,  down  a  short  stairway  and  into 
a  side  street.  A  half  dozen  police-guards  were 
awaiting  them,  and  before  they  could  catch 
the  faintest  idea  of  what  it  all  meant,  they 
were  running  with  the  officers  through  an 
alley,  as  if  pursued  by  demons. 

"Now,  what  in  thunder  does  this  mean?" 
panted  Lorry,  attempting  to  slacken  the  pace. 
He  and  Anguish  were  just  beginning  to  regain 
their  senses. 

' '  Do  not  stop !  Do  not  stop ! ' '  wheezed  Dan- 
gloss.  "You  must  get  to  a  place  of  safety. 
We  cannot  prevent  something  dreadful  happen- 
ing if  you  are  caught!" 

"If  we  are  caught!"  cried  Anguish.  "Why, 
what  have  we  done?" 

"Unhand  me,  Baron  Dangloss!  This  is  an 
outrage!"  shouted  Lorry. 

"For  God's  sake,  be  calm!  We  are  be- 
friending you.  When  we  reach  the  Tower, 
where  you  will  be  safe,  I  shall  explain, ' '  gasped 
the  panting  Chief  of  Police.  A  few  moments 
later  they  were  inside  the  prison  gates,  angry, 
impatient,  fatigued. 

"Is  this  a  plan  to  prevent  the  duel?"  de- 
manded Lorry,  turning  upon  the  chief,  who 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT          281 

had  dropped  limply  into  a  chair  and  was  mop- 
ping his  brow.  When  he  could  find  his  breath 
enough  to  answer,  Dangloss  did  so,  and  he 
might  as  well  have  thrown  a  bombshell  at  their 
feet. 

"There'll  be  no  duel.  Prince  Lorenz  is 
dead!" 

"Dead!"  gasped  the  others. 

"Found  dead  in  his  bed,  stabbed  to  the 
heart!"  exclaimed  the  Chief.  "We  have  saved 
you  from  his  friends,  gentlemen,  but  I  must 
say  that  you  are  still  in  a  tight  place. ' ' 

He  then  related  to  them  the  whole  story.  Just 
before  six  o'clock  Mizrox  had  gone  to  the 
Prince's  room  to  prepare  him  for  the  duel. 
The  door  was  closed  but  unlocked,  as  he  found 
after  repeated  knockings.  Lorenz  was  lying 
on  the  bed,  undressed  and  covered  with  blood. 
The  horrified  duke  made  a  hasty  examination 
and  found  that  he  was  dead.  A  dagger  had 
been  driven  to  his  heart  as  he  slept.  The 
hotel  was  aroused,  the  police  called,  and  the 
excitement  was  at  its  highest  pitch  when  the 
two  friends  came  from  their  room  a  few  min- 
utes after  six. 

"But  what  have  we  to  do  with  this  dreadful 
affair?  Why  are  we  rushed  off  here  like  crim- 
inals?" asked  Lorry,  a  feeling  of  cruel  gladness 


282  GRA  USTARK 

growing  out  of  the  knowledge  that  Lorenz  was 
dead  and  that  the  Princess  was  freed  from  her 
compact. 

"My  friend,"  said  Dangloss,  slowly,  "you 
are  accused  of  the  murder. ' ' 

Lorry  was  too  much  stunned  to  be  angry,  too 
weak  to  protest.  For  some  moments  after  the 
blow  fell  he  and  Anguish  were  speechless. 
Then  came  the  protestations,  the  rage  and  the 
threats,  through  all  of  which  Dangloss  sat 
calmly.  Finally  he  sought  to  quiet  them, 
partially  succeeding. 

"Mr.  Lorry,  the  evidence  is  very  strong 
against  you,  but  you  shall  not  be  unjustly 
treated.  You  are  not  a  prisoner  as  yet.  In 
Graustark  a  man  who  is  accused  of  murder, 
and  who  was  not  seen  by  any  one  to  commit 
the  crime,  cannot  be  legally  arrested  until  an 
accuser  shall  go  before  the  Princess,  who  is  also 
High  Priestess,  and  swear  on  his  life  that  he 
knows  the  guilty  man.  The  man  who  so 
accuses  agrees  to  forfeit  his  own  life  in  case 
the  other  is  proved  innocent.  If  you  are  to  be 
charged  with  the  murder  of  the  Prince,  some 
one  must  go  before  the  Princess  and  take  oath 
— his  life  against  yours.  I  am  holding  you 
here,  sir,  because  it  is  the  only  place  in 
which  you  are  safe.  Lorenz' s  friends  would 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT          283 

have  torn  you  to  pieces  had  we  not  found  you 
first.  You  are  not  prisoners,  and  you  may  de- 
part if  you  think  it  wise." 

"But,  my  God,  how  can  they  accuse  me?  I 
knew  nothing  of  the  murder  until  I  reached 
this  place,"  cried  Lorry,  stopping  short  in  his 
restless  walk  before  the  little  Baron. 

"So  you  say,  but " 

"If  you  accuse  me,  damn  you,  I'll  kill  you!" 
whispered  Lorry,  holding  himself  tense.  An- 
guish caught  and  held  him. 

"Be  calm,  sir,"  cautioned  Dangloss.  "I 
may  have  my  views,  but  I  am  not  willing  to 
take  oath  before  Her  Royal  Highness.  Listen: 
You  were  heard  to  say  you  would  kill  him ;  you 
began  the  fight;  you  were  the  aggressor,  and 
there  is  no  one  else  on  earth,  it  is  said,  who 
could  have  wished  to  murder  him.  The  man 
who  did  the  stabbing  entered  the  room  through 
the  hall  door  and  left  by  the  same.  There  are 
drops  of  blood  in  the  carpet,  leading  direct  to 
your  door.  On  your  knob  are  the  prints  of 
bloody  fingers  where  you — or  some  one  else — 
placed  his  hand  in  opening  the  door.  It  was 
this  discovery,  made  by  me  and  my  men,  that 
fully  convinced  the  enraged  friends  of  the  dead 
Prince  that  you  were  guilty.  When  we  opened 
the  door  you  were  gone.  Then  came  the 


284  GRAUSTARK 

search,  the  fight  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  and 
the  race  to  the  prison.  The  reason  I  saved 
you  from  that  mob  should  be  plain  to  you.  I 
love  my  Princess,  and  I  do  not  forget  that  you 
risked  your  life — each  of  you — to  protect  her. 
I  have  done  all  that  I  can,  gentlemen,  to  pro- 
tect you  in  return.  It  means  death  to  you  if 
you  fall  into  the  hands  of  his  followers  just 
now.  A  few  hours  will  cool  them  off,  no 
doubt,  but  now — now  it  would  be  madness  to 
face  them.  I  know  not  what  they  have  done  to 
my  men  at  the  hotel — perhaps  butchered  them. " 

There  was  anxiety  in  Dangloss's  voice  and 
there  was  honesty  in  his  keen  old  eyes.  His 
charges  now  saw  the  situation  clearly  and 
apologized  warmly  for  the  words  they  had 
uttered  under  the  pressure  of  somewhat  ex- 
tenuating circumstances.  They  expressed  a 
willingness  to  remain  in  the  prison  until  the 
excitement  abated  or  until  some  one  swore  his 
life  against  the  supposed  murderer.  They 
were  virtually  prisoners,  and  they  knew  it 
well.  Furthermore,  they  could  see  that  Baron 
Dangloss  believed  Lorry  guilty  of  the  murder; 
protestations  of  innocence  had  been  politely 
received  and  politely  disregarded. 

"Do  you  expect  one  of  his  friends  to  take  the 
oath?"  asked  Lorry. 


A  CLASH  AND  ITS  RESULT  285 

' '  Yes ;  it  is  sure  to  come. ' ' 

"But  you  will  not  do  so  yourself?" 

"No." 

"I  thank  you,  captain,  for  I  see  that  you  be- 
lieve me  guilty." 

"I  do  not  say  you  are  guilty,  remember,  but 
I  will  say  that  if  you  did  murder  Prince  Lorenz 
you  have  made  the  people  of  Graustark  rejoice 
from  the  bottoms  of  their  hearts,  and  you  will 
be  eulogized  from  one  end  of  the  land  to  the 
other. ' ' 

"Hanged  and  eulogized,"  said  Lorry,  grimly. 


XVII 

IN  THE  TOWER 

The  two  captives  who  were  not  prisoners 
were  so  dazed  by  the  unexpected  events  of  the 
morning  that  they  did  not  realize  the  vast 
seriousness  of  the  situation  for  hours.  Then  it 
dawned  upon  them  that  appearances  were 
really  against  them,  and  that  they  were  alone 
in  a  land  far  beyond  the  reach  of  help  from 
home.  One  circumstance  puzzled  them  with 
its  damning  mystery: — how  came  the  blood 
stains  upon  the  door-knob?  Dangloss  courte- 
ously discussed  this  strange  and  unfortunate 
feature  with  them,  but  with  ill-concealed  skep- 
ticism. It  was  evident  that  his  mind  was  clear 
in  regard  to  the  whole  affair. 

Anguish  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  real 
murderer  had  stained  the  knob  intentionally, 
aiming  to  cast  suspicion  on  the  man  who  had 
been  challenged.  The  assassin  had  an  object 
in  leaving  those  convicting  finger-marks  where 
they  would  do  the  most  damage.  He  either 
desired  the  arrest  and  death  of  the  American 
or  hoped  that  his  own  guilt  might  escape  atten- 
286 


IN  THE  TO  WER  287 

tion  through  the  misleading  evidence.  Lorry 
held,  from  his  deductions,  that  the  crime  had 
been  committed  by  a  fanatic  who  loved  his 
sovereign  too  devotedly  to  see  her  wedded  to 
Lorenz.  Then  why  should  he  wantonly  cast 
guilt  upon  the  man  who  had  been  her  pro- 
tector, objected  Dangloss. 

The  police  guards  came  in  from  the  hotel 
about  ten  o'clock,  bearing  marks  of  an  ugly 
conflict  with  the  Axphainians.  They  reported 
that  the  avengers  had  been  quelled  for  the 
time  being,  but  that  a  deputation  had  already 
started  for  the  castle  to  lay  the  matter  before 
the  Princess.  Officers  had  searched  the  rooms 
of  the  Americans  for  blood  stains,  but  had 
found  no  sign  of  them. 

"Did  you  find  bloody  water  in  which  hands 
had  been  washed?"  asked  Anguish. 

"No, "  responded  one  of  the  guards.  "There 
was  nothing  to  be  found  in  the  bowls  and  jars 
except  soapy  water.  There  is  not  a  blood  stain 
in  the  room,  Captain." 

"That  shakes  your  theory  a  little,  eh?"  cried 
Anguish,  triumphantly.  "Examine  Mr.  Lor- 
ry's hands  and  see  if  there  is  blood  upon 
them."  Lorry's  hands  were  white  and  un- 
contaminated.  Dangloss  wore  a  pucker  on  his 
brow. 


288  GRA  USTARK 

Shortly  afterward  a  crowd  of  Axphain  men 
came  to  the  prison  gates  and  demanded  the 
person  of  Grenfall  Lorry,  departing  after  an 
ugly  show  of  rage.  Curious  Edelweiss  citizens 
stood  afar  off,  watching  the  walls  and  windows 
eagerly. 

"This  may  cost  Edelweiss  a  great  deal  of 
trouble,  gentlemen,  but  there  is  more  happi- 
ness here  this  morning  than  the  city  has  known 
in  months.  Everybody  believes  you  killed 
him,  Mr.  Lorry,  but  they  all  love  you  for  the 
deed,"  said  Dangloss,  returning  at  noon  from 
a  visit  to  the  hotel  and  a  ride  through  the 
streets.  "The  Prince's  friends  have  been  at 
the  castle  since  nine  o'clock,  and  I  am  of  the 
opinion  that  they  are  having  a  hard  time  with 
the  High  Priestess." 

"God  bless  her!"  cried  Lorry. 

"The  town  is  craz)^  with  excitement.  Mes- 
sengers have  been  sent  to  old  Prince  Bolaroz  to 
inform  him  of  the  murder  and  to  urge  him  to 
hasten  hither,  where  he  may  fully  enjoy  the 
vengeance  that  is  to  be  wreaked  upon  his  son's 
slayer.  I  have  not  seen  a  wilder  time  in  Edel- 
weiss since  the  close  of  the  siege,  fifteen  years 
ago.  By  my  soul,  you  are  in  a  bad  box,  sir. 
They  are  lurking  in  every  part  of  town  to  kill 
you  if  you  attempt  to  leave  the  Tower  before 


IN  THE  TO  WER  289 

the  Princess  signs  an  order  to  restrain  you 
legally.  Your  life,  outside  these  walls,  would 
not  be  worth  a  snap  of  the  fingers. ' ' 

Captain  Quinnox,  of  the  Princess's  body- 
guard, accompanied  by  a  half  dozen  of  his 
men,  rode  up  to  the  prison  gates  about  two 
o'clock  and  was  promptly  admitted.  The 
young  captain  was  in  sore  distress. 

"The  Duke  of  Mizrox  has  sworn  that  you  are 
the  murderer,  Mr.  Lorry,  and  stakes  his  life, ' ' 
said  he,  after  greetings.  "Her  highness  has 
just  placed  in  my  hands  an  order  for  your 
arrest  as  the  assassin  of  Prince  Lorenz. " 

Lorry  turned  as  pale  as  death.  "You — you 
don't  mean  to  say  that  she  has  signed  a  war- 
rant— that  she  believes  me  guilty,"  he  cried, 
aghast. 

"She  has  signed  the  warrant,  but  very  much 
against  her  inclination.  Count  Halfont  in- 
formed me  that  she  pleaded  and  argued  with 
the  Duke  for  hours,  seeking  to  avert  the  act 
which  is  bound  to  give  pain  to  all  of  us.  He 
was  obdurate,  and  threatened  to  carry  com- 
plaint to  Bolaroz,  who  would  instantly  demand 
satisfaction.  As  the  Duke  is  willing  to  die  if 
you  are  proved  innocent,  there  was  no  other 
course  left  for  her  than  to  dictate  and  sign  this 
royal  decree.  Captain  Dangloss,  I  am  in- 


290  GRA  USTARK 

structed  to  give  you  these  papers.  One  is  the 
warrant  for  Mr.  Lorry's  arrest,  the  other 
orders  you  to  assume  charge  of  him  and  to 
place  him  in  confinement  until  the  day  of 
trial." 

While  Quinnox  was  making  this  statement 
the  accused  stood  with  bowed  head  and  throb- 
less  heart.  He  did  not  see  the  captain's  hand 
tremble  as  he  passed  the  documents  to  Dan- 
gloss,  nor  did  he  hear  the  unhappy  sigh  that 
came  from  the  latter 's  lips.  Anguish,  fiery 
and  impulsive,  was  not  to  be  subdued. 

"Is  there  no  warrant  for  my  arrest?"  he  de- 
manded. 

"There  is  not.  You  are  at  liberty  to  go, 
sir,"  responded  Quinnox. 

"I'd  like  to  know  why  there  isn't.  I  am  just 
as  guilty  as  Lorry." 

"The  Duke  charges  the  crime  to  but  one  of 
you.  Baron  Dangloss,  will  you  read  the  war- 
rant?" 

The  old  chief  read  the  decree  of  the  Princess 
slowly  and  impressively.  It  was  as  follows : 

"Jacot,  Duke  of  Mizrox,  before  his  God  and 
on  his  life,  swears  that  Grenfall  Lorry  did 
foully,  maliciously  and  designedly  slay  Lorenz, 
Prince  of  Axphain,  on  the  2oth  day  of  October, 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  189 — .  and  in  the  city 


IN  THE  TOWER  291 

of  Edelweiss,  Graustark.  It  is  therefore  my 
decree  that  Grenfall  Lorry  be  declared  mur- 
derer of  Lorenz,  Prince  of  Axphain,  until  he  be 
proved  innocent,  in  which  instance,  his  accuser, 
Jacot,  Duke  of  Mizrox,  shall  forfeit  his  life, 
according  to  the  law  of  this  land  providing 
penalty  for  false  witness,  and  by  which  he, 
himself,  has  sworn  to  abide  faithfully. 

"Signed:  Yetive." 

There  was  silence  for  some  moments,  broken 
by  the  dreary  tones  of  the  accused. 

"What  chance  have  I  to  prove  my  inno- 
cence?" he  asked,  hopelessly. 

"The  same  opportunity  that  he  has  to  prove 
your  guilt.  The  Duke  must,  according  to  our 
law,  prove  you  guilty  beyond  all  doubt,"  spoke 
the  young  captain. 

"When  am  I  to  be  tried?" 

"Here  is  my  order  from  the  Princess,"  said 
Dangloss,  glancing  over  the  other  paper.  "It 
says  that  I  am  to  confine  you  securely  and  to 
produce  you  before  the  tribunal  on  the  z6th 
day  of  October. ' ' 

"A  week!  That  is  a  long  time,"  said  Lorry. 
"May  I  have  permission  to  see  the  signature 
affixed  to  those  papers?"  Dangloss  handed 
them  to  him.  He  glanced  at  the  name  he 
loved,  written  by  the  hand  he  had  kissed,  now 


292  GRA  USTARK 

signing  away  his  life,  perhaps.  A  mist  came 
over  his  eyes  and  a  strange  joy  filled  his  soul. 
The  hand  that  signed  the  name  had  trembled 
in  doing  so,  had  trembled  pitifully.  The  heart 
had  not  guided  the  fingers.  "I  am  your  pris- 
oner, Captain  Dangloss.  Do  with  me  as  you 
will,"  he  said,  simply. 

"I  regret  that  I  am  obliged  to  place  you  in  a 
cell,  sir,  and  under  guard.  Believe  me,  I  am 
sorry  this  happened.  I  am  your  friend, ' '  said 
the  old  man,  gloomily. 

"And  I,"  cried  Quinnox. 

"But  what  is  to  become  of  me?"  cried  poor 
Anguish,  half  in  tears.  "I  won't  leave  you, 
Gren.  It's  an  infernal  outrage!" 

"Be  cool,  Harry,  and  it  will  come  out  right. 
He  has  no  proof,  you  know,"  said  the  other, 
wringing  his  friend's  hand. 

"But  I'll  have  to  stay  here,  too.  If  I  go  out- 
side these  walls,  I'll  be  killed  like  a  dog,"  pro- 
tested Harry. 

"You  are  to  have  a  guard  of  six  men  while 
you  are  in  Edelweiss,  Mr.  Anguish.  Those 
are  the  instructions  of  the  Princess.  I  do  not 
believe  the  scoundrels — I  mean  the  Axphain 
nobles — will  molest  you  if  you  do  not  cross 
them.  When  you  are  ready  to  go  to  your 
hotel,  I  will  accompany  you." 


IN  THE  TO  WER  293 

Half  an  hour  later  Lorry  was  in  a  cell  from 
which  there  could  be  no  escape,  while  Anguish 
was  riding  toward  the  hotel,  surrounded  by 
Graustark  soldiers.  He  had  sworn  to  his  friend 
that  he  would  unearth  the  murderer  if  it  lay 
within  the  power  of  man.  Captain  Dangloss 
heard  the  oath  and  smiled  sadly. 

At  the  castle  there  was  depression  and  relief, 
grief  and  joy.  The  royal  family,  the  nobility, 
even  the  servants,  soldiers  and  attendants,  re- 
joiced in  the  stroke  that  had  saved  the  Princess 
from  a  fate  worse  than  death.  Her  preserv- 
er's misfortune  was  deplored  deeply;  expres- 
sions of  sympathy  were  whispered  among  them 
all,  high  and  low.  The  Axphainians  were 
detested — the  Prince  most  of  all — and  the 
crime  had  come  as  a  joy  instead  of  a  shock. 
There  were,  of  course,  serious  complications 
for  the  future,  involving  ugly  conditions  that 
were  bound  to  force  themselves  upon  the  land. 
The  dead  man's  father  would  demand  the  life 
of  his  murderer.  If  not  Lorry,  who?  Grau- 
stark would  certainly  be  asked  to  produce  the 
man  who  killed  the  heir  to  the  throne  of  Ax- 
phain,  or  to  make  reparation — bloody  repara- 
tion, no  doubt. 

In  the  privacy  of  her  room  the  stricken 
Princess  collapsed  from  the  effects  of  the 


294  GRA  USTARK 

ordeal.  Her  poor  brain  had  striven  in  vain  to 
invent  means  by  which  she  might  save  the  man 
she  loved.  She  had  surrendered  to  the  inevit- 
able because  there  was  justice  in  the  claims  of 
the  inexorable  Duke  and  his  vindictive  friends. 
Against  her  will  she  had  issued  the  decree,  but 
not,  however,  until  she  had  learned  that  he 
was  in  prison  and  unable  to  fly  the  country. 
The  hope  that  delay  might  aid  him  in  escaping 
was  rudely  crushed  when  her  uncle  informed 
her  of  Lorry's  whereabouts.  She  signed  the 
decree  as  if  in  a  dream,  a  nightmare,  with 
trembling  hand  and  broken  heart.  His  death 
warrant !  And  yet,  like  all  others,  she  believed 
him  guilty.  Guilty  for  her  sake!  And  this 
was  how  she  rewarded  him. 

Mizrox  and  his  friends  departed  in  triumph, 
revenge  written  on  every  face.  She  walked 
blindly,  numbly  to  her  room,  assisted  by  her 
uncle,  the  Count.  Without  observing  her  aunt 
or  the  Countess  Dagmar,  she  staggered  to  the 
window  and  looked  below.  The  Axphainians 
were  crossing  the  parade  ground  jubilantly. 
Then  came  the  clatter  of  a  horse's  hoof  and 
Captain  Quinnox,  with  the  fatal  papers  in  his 
possession,  galloped  down  the  avenue.  She 
clutched  the  curtains  distractedly,  and,  leaning 
far  forward,  cried  from  the  open  window: 


IN  THE  TOWER  295 

"Quinnox!  Quinnox!  Come  back!  I  for- 
bid— I  forbid!  Destroy  those  papers!  Quin- 
nox!" 

But  Quinnox  heard  not  the  pitiful  wail.  He 
rode  on,  his  dark  face  stamped  with  pity  for 
the  man  whose  arrest  he  was  to  make.  Had 
he  heard  that  cry  from  his  sovereign  the 
papers  would  have  been  in  her  destroying 
grasp  with  the  speed  that  comes  only  to  the 
winged  birds.  Seeing  him  disappear  down  the 
avenue,  she  threw  her  hands  to  her  head  and 
sank  back  with  a  moan,  fainting.  Count  Hal- 
font  caught  her  in  his  arms.  It  was  nightfall 
before  she  was  fully  revived.  The  faithful 
young  Countess  clung  to  her  caressingly,  lov- 
ingly, uttering  words  of  consolation  until  long 
after  the  shades  of  night  had  dropped.  They 
were  alone  in  the  Princess's  boudoir,  seated  to- 
gether upon  the  divan,  the  tired  head  of  the 
one  resting  wearily  against  the  shoulder  of  the 
other.  Gentle  fingers  toyed  witfr  the  tawny 
tresses,  and  a  soft  voice  lulled  with  its  consol- 
ing promises  of  hope.  Wide  and  dark  and 
troubled  were  the  eyes  of  the  rulei  of  Grau- 
stark. 

An  attendant  appeared  and  announced  the 
arrival  of  one  of  the  American  gentlemen,  who 
insisted  on  seeing  Her  Royal  Highness.  The 


296  GRA  USTARK 

card  on  the  tray  bore  the  name  of  Harry 
Anguish.  At  once  the  Princess  was  aflutter 
with  eagerness  and  excitement. 

"Anguish!  Show  him  to  this  room  quickly! 
Oh,  Dagmar,  he  brings  word  from  him!  He 
comes  from  him !  Why  is  he  so  slow?  Ach,  I 
cannot  wait!" 

Far  from  being  slow,  Anguish  was  exceed- 
ingly swift  in  approaching  the  room  to  which 
he  feared  admittance  might  be  denied.  He 
strode  boldly,  impetuously  into  the  apartment, 
his  feet  muddy,  his  clothing  splashed  with 
rain,  his  appearance  far  from  that  of  a  gentle- 
man. 

"Tell  me!  What  is  it?"  she  cried,  as  he 
stopped  in  the  center  of  the  room  and  glared 
at  her. 

"I  don't  care  whether  you  like  it  and  it 
doesn't  matter  if  you  are  a  Princess,"  he  ex- 
ploded, "there  are  a  few  things  I'm  going  to 
say  to  you.  First,  I  want  to  know  what  kind 
of  a  woman  you  are  to  throw  into  prison  a  man 

like — like Oh,  it  drives  me  crazy  to  think 

of  it!  I  don't  care  if  you  are  insulted.  He's  a 
friend  of  mine  and  he  is  no  more  guilty  than 
you  are,  and  I  want  to  know  what  you  mean  by 
ordering  his  arrest?" 

Her  lips  parted  as  if  to  speak,  her  face  grew 


IN  THE  TO  WER  297 

deathly  pale,  her  fingers  clutched  the  edge  of 
the  divan.  She  stared  at  him  piteously,  un- 
able to  move,  to  speak.  Then  the  blue  eyes 
filled  with  tears,  a  sob  came  to  her  lips,  and 
her  tortured  heart  made  a  last,  brave  effort  at 
defense. 

"I — i — Mr.  Anguish,  you  wrong  me, — I — 

I "  She  tried  to  whisper  through  the 

closed  throat  and  stiffened  lips.  Words  failed 
her,  but  she  pleaded  with  those  wet,  imploring 
eyes.  His  heart  melted,  his  anger  was  swept 
away  in  a  twinkling.  He  saw  that  he  had 
wounded  her  most  unjustly. 

"You  brute!"  hissed  the  Countess,  with 
flashing,  indignant  eyes,  throwing  her  arms 
about  the  Princess  and  drawing  her  head  to 
her  breast. 

"Forgive  me,"  he  cried,  sinking  to  his  knee 
before  the  Princess,  shame  and  contrition  in  his 
face.  "I  have  been  half  mad  this  whole  day, 
and  I  have  thought  harshly  of  you.  I  now  see 
that  you  are  suffering  more  intensely  than  I. 
I  love  Lorry,  and  that  is  my  only  excuse.  He 
is  being  foully  wronged,  your  Highness,  foully 
wronged." 

"I  deserve  your  contempt,  after  all. 
Whether  he  be  guilty  or  innocent,  I  should 
have  refused  to  sign  the  decree.  It  is  too  late 


298  GRA  USTARK 

now.  I  have  signed  away  something  that  is 
very  dear  to  me, — his  life.  You  are  his  friend 
and  mine.  Can  you  tell  me  what  he  thinks  of 
me — what  he  says — how  he  feels?"  She  asked 
the  triple  question  breathlessly. 

"He  believes  you  were  forced  into  the  act 
and  said  as  much  to  me.  As  to  how  he  feels,  I 
can  only  ask  how  you  would  feel  if  you  were  in 
his  place,  innocent  and  yet  almost  sure  of  con- 
viction. These  friends  of  Axphain  will  resort 
to  any  subterfuge,  now  that  one  of  their  num- 
ber has  staked  his  life.  Mark  my  word,  some 
one  will  deliberately  swear  that  he  saw  Gren- 
fall  Lorry  strike  the  blow  and  that  will  be  as 
villainous  a  lie  as  man  ever  told.  What  I  am 
here  for,  your  Highness,  is  to  ask  if  that  decree 
cannot  be  withdrawn." 

"Alas,  it  cannot!  I  would  gladly  order  his 
release  if  I  could,  but  you  can  see  what  that 
would  mean  to  us.  A  war,  Mr.  Anguish,"  she 
sighed  miserably. 

4 '  But  you  will  not  see  an  innocent  man  con- 
demned?" cried  he,  again  indignant. 

"I  have  only  your  statement  for  that,  sir,  if 
you  will  pardon  me.  I  hope,  from  the  bottom 
of  my  heart,  that  he  did  not  murder  the  Prince 
after  being  honorably  challenged." 

"He  is  no  coward!"    thundered    Anguish, 


IN  THE  TO  WER  299 

startling  both  women  with  his  vehemence. 
"I  say  he  did  not  kill  the  Prince,  but  I'll  stake 
my  life  he  would  have  done  so  had  they  met 
this  morning.  There's  no  use  trying  to  have 
the  decree  rescinded,  I  see,  so  I'll  take  my  de- 
parture. I  don't  blame  you,  your  Highness; 
it  is  your  duty,  of  course.  But  it's  pretty  hard 
on  Lorry,  that's  all." 

"He  may  be  able  to  clear  himself,"  sug- 
gested the  Countess,  nervously. 

"And  he  may  not,  so  there  you  have  it. 
What  chance  have  two  Americans  over  here 
with  everybody  against  us?" 

"Stop!  You  shall  not  say  that!  He  shall 
have  full  justice,  at  any  cost,  and  there  is  one 
here  who  is  not  against  him,"  cried  the  Prin- 
cess, with  flashing  eyes. 

"I  am  aware  that  everybody  admires  him 
because  he  has  done  Graustark  a  service  in  rid- 
ding it  of  something  obnoxious — a  prospective 
husband.  But  that  does  not  get  him  out  of 
jail." 

"You  are  unkind  again,"  said  the  Princess, 
slowly.  "I  chose  my  husband,  and  you  assume 
much  when  you  intimate  that  I  am  glad  be- 
cause he  was  murdered. ' ' 

"Do  not  be  angry,"  cried  the  Countess,  im- 
patiently. "We  all  regret  what  has  happened, 


300  GRA  USTARK 

and  I,  for  one,  hope  that  Mr.  Lorry  may  escape 
from  the  Tower  and  laugh  forevermore  at  his 
pursuers.  If  he  could  only  dig  his  way  out!" 

The  Princess  shot  a  startled  look  toward  the 
speaker  as  a  new  thought  entered  her  wearied 
brain;  a  short,  involuntary  gasp  told  that  it 
had  lodged  and  would  grow.  She  laughed  at 
the  idea  of  an  escape  from  the  Tower,  but  as 
she  laughed  a  tiny  spot  of  red  began  to  spread 
upon  her  cheek,  and  her  eyes  glistened 
strangely. 

Anguish  remained  with  them  for  half  an 
hour.  When  he  left  the  castle  it  was  with  a 
more  hopeful  feeling  in  his  breast.  In  the 
Princess's  bed-chamber  late  that  night,  two 
girls,  in  loose,  silken  gowns  sat  before  a  low 
fire  and  talked  of  something  that  caused  the 
Countess  to  tremble  with  excitement  when  first 
her  pink-cheeked  sovereign  mentioned  it  in 
confidence. 


XVIII 

THE  FLIGHT  A  T  MIDNIGHT 

Lorry's  cell  was  as  comfortable  as  a  cell 
could  be  made  through  the  efforts  of  a  kindly 
jailer  and  a  sympathetic  chief  of  police.  It 
was  not  located  in  the  dungeon,  but  high  in 
the  tower,  a  little  rock-bound  room,  with  a 
single  barred  window  far  above  the  floor. 
There  was  a  bed  of  iron  upon  which  had  been 
placed  a  clean  mattress,  and  there  was  a  little 
chair.  The  next  day  after  his  arrest  a  com- 
fortable arm  chair  replaced  the  latter ;  a  table, 
a  lamp,  some  books,  flowers,  a  bottle  of  wine 
and  some  fruit  found  their  way  to  his  lonely 
apartment — whoever  may  have  sent  them. 
Harry  Anguish  was  admitted  to  the  cell  dur- 
ing the  afternoon.  He  promptly  and  truthfully 
denied  all  interest  in  the  donations,  but  smiled 
wisely. 

He  reported  that  most  of  the  Axphain  con- 
tingent was  still  in  town ;  a  portion  had  hurried 
home,  carrying  the  news  to  the  old  Prince, 
instructed  by  the  aggressive  Mizrox  to  fetch 
301 


302  GRA  USTARK 

him  forthwith  to  Edelweiss,  where  his  august 
presence  was  necessary  before  the  twenty- 
sixth.  Those  who  remained  in  the  Graustark 
capital  were  quiet  but  still  in  a  threatening 
mood.  The  Princess,  so  Harry  informed  the 
prisoner,  sent  sincere  expressions  of  sympathy 
and  the  hope  that  all  would  end  well  with  him. 
Count  Halfont,  the  Countess,  Gaspon  and  many 
others  had  asked  to  be  remembered.  The 
prisoner  smiled  wearily  and  promised  that  they 
should  not  be  forgotten  in  a  week  —  which 
was  as  far  as  he  expected  his  memory  to 
extend. 

Late  in  the  evening,  as  he  was  lying  on  his 
bed,  staring  at  the  shadowy  ceiling  and  puz- 
zling his  brain  with  most  oppressive  uncertain- 
ties, the  rattle  of  keys  in  the  lock  announced 
the  approach  of  visitors.  The  door  swung 
open  and  through  the  grate  he  saw  Dangloss 
and  Quinnox.  The  latter  wore  a  long  military 
rain  coat  and  had  just  come  in  from  a  drench- 
ing downpour.  Lorry's  reverie  had  been  so 
deep  that  he  had  not  heard  the  thunder  nor  the 
howling  of  the  winds.  Springing  to  his  feet  he 
advanced  quickly  to  the  grated  door. 

"Captain  Quinnox  brings  a  private  message 
from  the  Princess, ' '  said  the  Chief,  the  words 
scarcely  more  than  whispered.  It  was  plain 


THE  FLIGHT  A  T  MIDNIGHT          3°3 

that  the  message  was  important  and  of  a  secret 
nature.  Quinnox  looked  up  and  down  the  cor- 
ridor and  stairway  before  thrusting  the  tiny 
note  through  the  bars.  It  was  grasped  eagerly 
and  trembling  fingers  broke  the  seal.  Bend- 
ing near  the  light  he  read  the  lines,  his  vision 
blurred,  his  heart  throbbing  so  fiercely  that  the 
blood  seemed  to  be  drowning  out  other  sounds 
for  all  time  to  come.  In  the  dim  corridor 
stood  the  two  men,  watching  him  with  bated 
breath  and  guilty,  quaking  nerves. 

"Oh!"  gasped  Lorry,  kissing  the  missive 
insanely  as  his  greedy  eyes  careened  through 
the  last  line.  There  was  no  signature,  but  in 
every  word  he  saw  her  face,  felt  the  touch  of 
her  dear  hand,  heard  her  timid  heart  beating 
for  him — for  him  alone.  Rapture  thrilled  him 
from  head  to  foot,  the  delirious  rapture  of  love. 
He  could  not  speak,  so  overpowering  was  the 
joy,  the  surprise,  the  awakening. 

"Obey!"  whispered  Quinnox,  his  face  aglow 
with  pleasure,  his  finger  quivering  as  he 
pointed  commandingly  toward  the  letter. 

"Obey  what!"  asked  Lorry,  dully. 

"The  last  line!" 

He  hastily  reread  the  last  line  and  then 
deliberately  held  the  precious  missive  over  the 
lamp  until  it  ignited.  He  would  have  given 


304  GRA  USTARK 

all  he  possessed  to  have  preserved  it  But 
the  last  line  commanded:  "Burn  this  at  once 
and  in  the  presence  of  the  bearer." 

"There!"  he  said,  regretfully,  as  he  crumpled 
the  charred  remnants  between  his  fingers  and 
turned  to  the  silent  watchers. 

"Her  crime  goes  up  in  smoke,5'  muttered 
Dangloss,  sententiously. 

"The  Princess  commits  no  crime,"  retorted 
Quinnox,  angrily,  "when  she  trusts  four  hon- 
est men." 

"Where  is  she?"  whispered  the  prisoner, 
with  thrumming  ears. 

"Where  all  good  women  should  be  at  nine 
o'clock — in  bed,"  replied  Dangloss,  shortly. 
"But  will  you  obey  her  command?" 

"So  she  commands  me  to  escape!"  said 
Lorry,  smiling.  "I  dare  not  disobey  my  sove- 
reign, I  suppose." 

"We  obey  her  because  we  love  her,"  said 
the  captain  of  the  guard. 

"And  for  that  reason,  I  also  obey.  But  can 
this  thing  be  accomplished  without  necessitat- 
ing explanations  and  possible  complications?  I 
will  not  obey  if  it  is  likely  to  place  her  in  an 
embarrassing  position. ' ' 

"She  understands  perfectly  what  she  is 
doing,  sir.  In  the  first  place,  she  has  had  my 


THE  FLIGHT  A  T  MIDNIGHT          3°5 

advice,"  said  Dangloss,  the  good  old  betrayer 
of  an  official  trust. 

"You  advised  her  to  command  you  to  allow 
me  to  escape?" 

"She  commanded  first,  and  then  I  advised 
her  how  to  command  you.  Axphain  may 
declare  war  a  thousand  times  over,  but  you 
will  be  safe.  That's  all  we — I  mean,  all  she 
wants." 

' '  But  I  cannot  desert  my  friend.  How  is  he 
to  know  where  I've  gone?  Will  not  vengeance 
fall  on  him  instead?" 

"He  shall  know  everything  when  the  proper 
time  comes.  And  now,  will  you  be  ready  at 
the  hour  mentioned.  You  have  but  to  follow 
the  instructions — I  should  say,  the  commands 
of  the  writer. ' ' 

"And  be  free!  Tell  her  that  I  worship  her 
for  this.  Tell  her  that  every  drop  of  blood  in 
my  body  belongs  to  her.  She  offers  me  free- 
dom, but  makes  me  her  slave  for  life.  Yes,  I 
shall  be  ready.  If  I  do  not  see  you  again,  good 
friends,  remember  that  I  love  you  because  you 
love  her  and  because  she  loves  you  enough  to 
entrust  a  most  dangerous  secret  to  your  keep- 
ing, the  commission  of  an  act  that  may  mean 
the  downfall  of  your  nation. ' '  He  shook  hands 
with  them  fervently. 


306  GRA  USTARK 

"It  cannot  be  that,  sir.  It  may  cost  the  lives 
of  three  of  her  subjects,  but  no  man  save  your- 
self can  involve  the  Princess  or  the  Crown. 
They  may  kill  us,  but  they  cannot  force  us  to 
betray  her.  I  trust  you  will  be  as  loyal  to  the 
good  girl  who  wears  a  crown,  not  upon  her 
heart,"  said  Dangloss,  earnestly. 

"I  have  said  my  life  is  hers,  gentlemen," 
said  Lorry,  simply.  "God,  if  I  could  but 
throw  myself  at  her  feet!  I  must  see  her  be- 
fore I  go.  I  will  not  go  without  telling  her 
what  is  in  my  heart!"  he  added,  passionately. 

"You  must  obey  the  commands  implicitly, 
on  your  word  of  honor,  or  the  transaction  ends 
now,"  said  Quinnox,  firmly. 

"This  escape  means,  then,  that  I  am  not  to 
see  her  again,"  he  said,  his  voice  choking  with 
emotion. 

"Her  instructions  are  that  you  are  to  go  to- 
night, at  once, ' '  said  Dangloss,  and  the  black- 
eyed  soldier  nodded  confirmation. 

The  prisoner  paced  the  floor  of  his  cell,  his 
mind  a  jumble  of  conflicting  emotions.  His 
clenched  hands,  twitching  lips  and  half-closed 
eyes  betrayed  the  battle  that  was  inflicting 
him  with  its  carnage.  Suddenly  he  darted  to 
the  door,  crying : 

"Then  I  refuse  to  obey!     Tell  her  that  if  she 


THE  FLIGHT  A  T  MIDNIGHT         307 

permits  me  to  leave  this  hole  I  shall  be  at  her 
feet  before  another  night  has  passed.  Say  to 
her  that  I  refuse  to  go  from  Graustark  until  I 
have  seen  her  and  talked  with  her.  You, 
Quinnox,  go  to  her  now  and  tell  her  this,  and 
say  to  her  also  that  there  is  something  she 
must  hear  from  my  own  lips.  Then  I  will 
leave  Graustark  and  not  till  then,  even  though 
death  be  the  alternative. ' '  The  two  men  stared 
at  him  in  amazement  and  consternation. 

"You  will  not  escape?"  gasped  Quinnox. 

"I  will  not  be  dragged  away  without  seeing 
her,"  he  answered,  resolutely,  throwing  him- 
self on  the  bed. 

"Damned  young  ass!"  growled  Dangloss. 
The  soldier's  teeth  grated.  A  moment  later 
the  slab  door  closed  softly,  a  key  rattled,  and 
his  visitors  were  gone — messengers  bearing  to 
him  the  most  positive  proof  of  devotion  that 
man  could  exact.  What  had  she  offered  to  do 
for  his  sake?  She  had  planned  his  escape,  had 
sanctioned  the  commission  of  an  unparalleled 
outrage  against  the  laws  of  her  land — she,  of 
all  women,  a  Princess!  But  she  also  had 
sought  to  banish  him  from  the  shrine  at  which 
his  very  soul  worshiped,  a  fate  more  cruet  and 
unendurable  than  the  one  she  would  have 
saved  him  from. 


3o8  GRA  USTARK 

He  looked  at  his  hands  and  saw  the  black 
stains  from  the  charred  letter,  last  evidence  of 
the  crime  against  the  state.  A  tender  light 
came  to  his  eyes,  a  great  lump  struggled  to  his 
throat,  and  he  kissed  the  sooty  spots,  murmur- 
ing her  name  again  and  again.  How  lonely  he 
was!  how  cold  and  cheerless  his  cage!  For 
the  .first  time  he  began  to  appreciate  the  real 
seriousness  of  his  position.  Up  to  this  time  he 
had  regarded  it  optimistically,  confident  of 
vindication  and  acquittal.  His  only  objection 
to  imprisonment  grew  out  of  annoyance  and 
the  mere  deprivation  of  liberty.  It  had  not 
entered  his  head  that  he  was  actually  facing 
death  at  close  range.  Of  course,  it  had  been 
plain  to  him  that  the  charges  were  serious,  and 
that  he  was  awkwardly  situated,  but  the  true 
enormity  of  his  peril  did  not  dawn  upon  him 
until  freedom  was  offered  in  such  a  remarkable 
manner.  He  grew  cold  and  shuddered  instinc- 
tively as  he  realized  that  his  position  was  so 
critical  that  the  princess  had  deemed  it  neces- 
sary to  resort  to  strategic  measures  in  order  to 
save  him  from  impending  doom.  Starting  to 
his  feet  he  paced  the  floor,  nervousness  turning 
to  dread,  dread  to  terror.  He  pounded  on  the 
door  and  cried  aloud.  Oh,  if  he  could  but 
bring  back  those  kindly  messengers! 


THE  FLIGHT  A  T  MIDNIGHT          309 

Exhausted,  torn  by  conflicting  emotions,  he 
at  last  dropped  to  the  bed  and  buried  his  face 
in  his  arms,  nearly  mad  with  the  sudden  soli- 
tude of  despair.  He  recalled  her  dear  letter — 
the  tender,  helping  hand  that  had  been 
stretched  out  to  lift  him  from  the  depths  into 
which  he  was  sinking.  She  had  written — he 
could  see  the  words  plainly — that  his  danger 
was  great ;  she  could  not  endure  life  until  she 
knew  him  to  be  safely  outside  the  bounds  of 
Graustark.  His  life  was  dear  to  her,  and  she 
would  preserve  it  by  dishonoring  her  trust. 
Then  she  had  unfolded  her  plan  of  escape,  dis- 
jointedly,  guiltily,  hopelessly.  In  one  place 
near  the  end,  she  wrote:  "You  have  done 
much  more  for  me  than  you  know,  so  I  pray 
that  God  may  be  good  enough  to  let  me  repay 
you  so  far  as  it  lies  within  my  power  to  do  so." 
In  another  place  she  said:  "You  may  trust  my 
accomplices,  for  they  love  me,  too."  An  ad- 
mission unconsciously  made,  that  word  "too." 

But  she  was  offering  him  freedom  only  to 
send  him  away  without  granting  one  moment 
of  joy  in  her  presence.  After  all,  with  death 
staring  him  in  the  face,  the  practically  convicted 
murderer  of  a  prince,  he  knew  he  could  not 
have  gone  without  seeing  her.  He  had  been 
ungrateful,  perhaps,  but  the  message  he  had 


3io  GRAUSTARK 

sent  to  her  was  from  his  heart,  and  something 
told  him  that  it  would  give  her  pleasure. 

A  key  turned  suddenly  in  the  lock,  and  his 
heart  bounded  with  the  hope  that  it  might  be 
some  one  with  her  surrender  in  response  to  his 
ultimatum.  He  sat  upright  and  rubbed  his 
swollen  eyes.  The  door  swung  open,  and  a 
tall  prison  guard  peered  in  upon  him,  a  sharp- 
eyed,  low-browed  fellow  in  rain  coat  and  hel- 
met. His  lantern's  single  unkind  eye  was 
turned  menacingly  toward  the  bed. 

"What  do  you  want?"  demanded  the  pris- 
oner, irritably* 

Instead  of  answering,  the  guard  proceeded 
to  unlock  the  second  or  grated  door,  stepping 
inside  the  cell  a  moment  later.  Smothering 
an  exclamation,  Lorry  jerked  out  his  watch  and 
then  sprang  to  his  feet,  intensely  excited.  It 
was  just  twelve  o'clock,  and  he  remembered 
now  that  she  had  said  a  guard  would  come  to 
him  at  that  hour.  Was  this  the  man?  Was 
the  plan  to  be  carried  out? 

The  two  men  stood  staring  at  each  other  for 
a  moment  or  two,  one  in  the  agony  of  doubt 
and  suspense,  the  other  quizzically.  A  smile 
flitted  over  the  face  of  the  guard;  he  calmly 
advanced  to  the  table,  putting  down  his  lan- 
tern. Then  he  drew  off  his  rain  coat  and  hel- 


THE  FLIGHT  A  T  MIDNIGHT          3 1 1 

met  and  placed  in  the  other's  hand  a  gray 
envelope.  Lorry  reeled  and  would  have  fallen 
but  for  the  wall  against  which  he  staggered. 
A  note  from  her  was  in  his  hand.  He  tore 
open  the  envelope  and  drew  forth  the  letter. 
As  he  read  he  grew  strangely  calm  and  con- 
tented ;  a  blissful  repose  rushed  in  to  supplant 
the  racking  unrest  of  a  moment  before;  the 
shadows  fled  and  life's  light  was  burning 
brightly  once  more.  She  had  written : 

"I  entreat  you  to  follow  instructions  and  go 
to-night.  You  say  you  will  not  leave  Grau- 
stark  until  you  have  seen  me.  How  rash  you 
are  to  refuse  liberty  and  life  for  such  a  trifle. 
But  why,  I  ask,  am  I  offering  you  this  chance 
to  escape?  Is  it  because  I  do  not  hope  to  see 
you  again?  Is  it  not  enough  that  I  am  beg- 
ging, imploring  you  to  go?  I  can  say  no 
more." 

He  folded  the  brief  note,  written  in  agita- 
tion, and,  after  kissing  it,  proceeded  to  place  it 
in  his  pocket,  determined  to  keep  it  to  the  last 
hour  of  his  life.  Glancing  up  at  a  sound  from 
the  guard,  he  found  himself  looking  into  the 
muzzle  of  a  revolver.  A  deep  scowl  over- 
spread the  face  of  the  man  as  he  pointed  to  the 
letter  and  then  to  the  lamp.  There  was  no 
mistaking  his  meaning.  Lorry  reluctantly 


312  GRAUSTARK 

held  the  note  over  the  flame  and  saw  it  crumble 
away  as  had  its  predecessor.  There  was  to  be 
no  proof  of  her  complicity  left  behind.  He 
knew  it  would  be  folly  to  offer  a  bribe  to  the 
loyal  guard, 

After  this  very  significant  act  the  guard's 
face  cleared,  and  he  deposited  his  big  revolver 
on  the  table.  Stepping  to  the  cell's  entrance 
he  listened  intently,  then  softly  closed  the 
heavy  iron  doors.  Without  a  word  he  began 
to  strip  off  his  uniform,  Lorry  watching  him  as 
if  fascinated.  The  fellow  looked  up  impatiently 
and  motioned  for  him  to  be  quick,  taking  it 
for  granted  that  the  prisoner  understood  his 
part  of  the  transaction.  Awakened  by  this 
sharp  reminder,  Lorry  nervously  began  to  re- 
move his  own  clothes.  In  five  minutes  his  gar- 
ments were  scattered  over  the  floor  and  he  was 
attired  in  the  uniform  of  a  guard.  Not  a  word 
had  been  spoken.  The  prisoner  was  the 
guard,  the  guard  a  prisoner. 

"Are  you  not  afraid  this  will  cost  you  your 
life?"  asked  Lorry,  first  in  English,  then  in 
German.  The  guard  merely  shook  his  head, 
indicating  that  he  could  not  understand. 

He  quickly  turned  to  the  bed,  seized  a  sheet 
and  tore  it  into  strips,  impatiently  thrusting 
them  into  the  other's  hands.  The  first  letter 


THE  FLIGHT  A  T  MIDNIGHT         3 1 3 

had  foretold  all  this,  and  the  prisoner  knew 
what  was  expected  of  him.  He  therefore 
securely  bound  the  guard's  legs  and  arms. 
With  a  grim  smile  the  captive  nodded  his  head 
toward  the  revolver,  the  lantern  and  the  keys. 
His  obliging  prisoner  secured  them,  as  well  as 
his  own  personal  effects,  and  was  ready  to  de- 
part. According  to  instructions  he  was  to  go 
forth,  locking  the  doors  behind  him,  leaving 
the  man  to  be  discovered  the  next  morning  by 
surprised  keepers.  It  struck  him  that  there 
was  something  absurd  in  this  part  of  the  plan. 
How  was  this  guard  to  explain  his  position 
with  absolutely  no  sign  of  a  struggle  to  bear 
him  out?  It  was  hardly  plausible  that  a  big, 
strong  fellow  could  be  so  easily  overpowered 
single-handed;  there  was  something  wretchedly 
incongruous  about  the — but  there  came-  a  start- 
ling and  effective  end  to  all  criticism. 

The  guard,  bound  as  he  was,  suddenly 
turned  and  lunged  head-foremost  against  the 
sharp  bedpost.  His  head  struck -with  a  thud, 
and  he  rolled  to  the  floor  as  if  dead.  Uttering 
an  exclamation  of  horror,  Lorry  ran  to  his 
side.  Blood  was  gushing  from  a  long  gash 
across  his  head,  and  he  was  already  uncon- 
scious. Sickened  by  the  brave  sacrifice,  he 
picked  the  man  up  and  placed  him  on  the  bed. 


314  GRA  USTARK 

A  hasty  examination  proved  that  it  was  no 
more  than  a  scalp  wound,  and  that  death  was 
too  remote  to  be  feared.  The  guard  had  done 
his  part  nobly,  and  it  was  now  the  prisoner's 
turn  to  act  as  resolutely  and  as  unflinchingly. 
Sorry  to  leave  the  poor  fellow  in  what  seemed 
an  inhuman  manner,  he  strode  into  the  cor- 
ridor, closed  and  locked  the  doors  clumsily,  and 
began  the  descent  of  the  stairs.  He  had  been 
instructed  to  act  unhesitatingly,  as  the  slightest 
show  of  nervousness  would  result  in  discovery. 
With  the  helmet  well  down  over  his  face  and 
the  cape  well  up,  he  steadily,  even  noisily 
made  his  way  to  the  next  floor  below.  There 
were  prisoners  on  this  floor,  while  he  had  been 
the  only  occupant  of  the  floor  above.  Straight 
ahead  he  went,  flashing  his  lantern  here  and 
there,  passing  down  another  stairway  and  into 
the  main  corridor.  Here  he  met  a  guard  who 
had  just  come  in  from  the  outside.  The  man 
addressed  him  in  the  language  of  the  country, 
and  his  heart  almost  stopped  beating.  How 
was  he  to  answer?  Mumbling  something 
almost  inaudible,  he  hurried  on  to  the  ground 
floor,  trembling  with  fear  lest  the  man  should 
call  to  him  to  halt.  He  was  relieved  to  find, 
in  the  end,  that  his  progress  was  not  to  be  im- 
peded. In  another  moment  he  was  boldly 


THE  FLIGHT  A  T  MIDNIGHT         3 '  5 

unlocking  the  door  that  led  to  the  visitors'  hall. 
Then  came  the  door  to  the  warden's  office. 
Here  he  found  three  sleepy  guards,  none  of 
whom  paid  any  attention  to  him  as  he  passed 
through  and  entered  Captain  Dangloss' 
private  room.  The  gruff  old  Captain  sat  at  a 
desk,  writing.  The  escaping  man  half  paused 
as  if  to  speak  to  him.  A  sharp  cough  from  the 
Captain  and  a  significant  jerk  of  the  head  told 
him  that  there  must  be  no  delay,  no  words. 
Opening  the  door  he  stepped  out  into  a  storm 
so  fierce  and  wild  that  he  shuddered  appre- 
hensively. 

"A  fitting  night!"  he  muttered,  as  he 
plunged  into  the  driving  rain,  forcing  his  way 
across  the  court-yard  toward  the  main  gate. 
The  little  light  in  the  gate-keeper's  window 
was  his  guide,  so,  blinded  by  the  torrents, 
blown  by  the  winds,  he  soor  found  himself 
before  the  final  barrier.  Pep  ring  through  the 
window  he  saw  the  keeper  dozing  in  his  chair. 
By  the  light  from  within  he  selected  from  the 
bunch  of  keys  he  carried  one  that  had  a  white 
string  knotted  in  its  ring.  This  was  the  key 
that  was  to  open  the  big  gate  in  case  no  one 
challenged  him.  In  any  other  case  he  was  to 
give  the  countersign,  "Dangloss,"  and  trust 
fortune  to  pass  him  through  without  question. 


3  id  GRAUSTARK 

Luck  was  with  him,  and,  finding  the  great 
lock,  he  softly  inserted  and  turned  the  key. 
The  wind  blew  the  heavy  gate  open  violently, 
and  it  required  all  of  his  strength  to  keep  it 
from  banging  against  the  wall  beyond.  The 
most  difficult  task  that  he  had  encountered 
grew  from  his  efforts  to  close  the  gate  against 
the  blast.  He  was  about  to  give  up  in  despair 
when  a  hand  was  laid  on  his  shoulder  and  some 
one  hissed  in  his  startled  ear: 

"Sh!     Not  a  word!" 

His  legs  almost  went  from  under  his  body, 
so  great  was  the  shock  and  the  fear.  Two 
strong  hands  joined  his  own  in  the  effort  to 
pull  the  door  into  position,  and  he  knew  at 
once  that  they  belonged  to  the  man  who  was 
to  meet  him  on  the  corner  at  the  right  of  the 
prison  wall.  He  undoubtedly  had  tired  of  the 
delay,  and,  feeling  secure  in  the  darkness  of 
the  storm,  had  come  to  meet  his  charge,  the 
escaping  prisoner.  Their  united  efforts 
brought  about  the  desired  result,  and  together 
they  left  the  prison  behind,  striking  out  against 
the  storm  in  all  its  fury. 

"You  are  late,"  called  the  stranger  in  his 
ear. 

"Not  too  late,  am  I?"  he  cried  back,  clutch- 
ing the  other's  arm. 


THE  FLIGHT  A  T  MIDNIGHT          3 1 7 

"No,  but  we  must  hasten." 

"Captain  Quinnox,  is  it  you?" 

"Have  a  care!  The  storm  has  ears  and  can 
hear  names, ' '  cautioned  the  other.  As  rapidly 
as  possible  they  made  their  way  along  the  black 
street,  almost  a  river  with  its  sheet  of  water. 
Lorry  had  lost  his  bearings,  and  knew  not 
whither  he  went,  trusting  to  the  guidance  of 
his  struggling  companion.  There  seemed  to 
be  no  end  to  their  journey,  and  he  was  growing 
weak  beneath  the  exertion  and  the  excitement. 

"How  far  do  we  go?"  he  cried,  at  last. 

"But  a  few  rods.  The  carriage  is  at  the  next 
corner." 

"Where  is  the  carriage  to  take  me?"  he  de- 
manded. 

"I  am  not  at  liberty  to  say." 

"Am  I  to  see  her  before  I  go?" 

"That  is  something  I  cannot  answer,  sir. 
My  instructions  are  to  place  you  in  the  carriage 
and  ride  beside  the  driver  until  our  destination 
is  reached." 

"Is  it  the  castle?"  cried  the  other,  joyously. 

"It  is  not  the  castle,"  was  the  disappointing 
answer. 

At  that  moment  they  came  upon  a  great 
dark  hulk  and  heard  the  stamping  of  horses' 
hoofs  close  at  hand.  It  was  so  dark  they  could 


318  GRAUSTARK 

scarcely  discern  the  shape  of  the  carriage, 
although  they  could  touch  its  side  with  their 
hands. 

A  soldier  stood  in  the  shelter  of  the  vehicle 
and  opened  the  door  for  the  American. 

"Hurry!     Get  in!"  exclaimed  Quinnox. 

"I  wish  to  know  if  this  is  liable  to  get  her 
into  trouble,"  demanded  Lorry,  pausing  with 
one  foot  on  the  steps. 

"Get  in!"  commanded  the  soldier  who  was 
holding  the  door,  pushing  him  forward  un- 
easily. He  floundered  into  the  carriage  where 
all  was  dry  and  clean.  In  his  hand  he  still 
carried  the  keys  and  the  lantern,  the  slide  of 
which  he  had  closed  before  leaving  the  prison 
yard.  He  could  not  see,  but  he  knew  that  the 
trappings  of  the  vehicle  were  superior.  Out- 
side he  heard  the  soldier,  who  was  preparing  to 
enter,  say: 

"This  carriage  travels  on  most  urgent  busi- 
ness for  Her  Royal  Highness,  captain.  It  is 
not  to  be  stopped." 

A  moment  later  he  was  inside  and  the  door 
slammed.  The  carriage  rocked  as  Quinnox 
swung  up  beside  the  driver. 

"You  may  as  well  be  comfortable,"  said 
Lorry's  companion,  as  he  sat  rigid  and  restless. 
"We  have  a  long  and  rough  ride  before  us." 


XIX 

THE  SOLDIER 

Off  went  the  carriage  with  a  dash,  the  rumble 
of  its  wheels  joining  in  the  grewsome  roar  of 
the  elements.  For  some  time  the  two  sat 
speechless,  side  by  side.  Outside  the  thunder 
rolled,  the  rain  swirled  and  hissed,  the  wind 
howled  and  all  the  horrors  of  nature  seemed 
crowded  into  the  blackness  of  that  thrilling 
night.  Lorry  wondered  vaguely  whither  they 
were  going,  why  he  had  seen  no  flashes  of 
lightning,  if  he  should  ever  see  her  again. 
His  mind  .was  busy  with  a  thousand  thoughts 
and  queries. 

"Where  are  we  going?"  he  asked,  after  they 
had  traveled  half  a  mile  or  so. 

"To  a  place  of  safety,"  came  the  reply  from 
the  darkness  beside  him. 

"Thanks,"  he  said,  drily.  "By  the  way, 
don't  you  have  any  lightning  in  this  part  of 
the  world?  I  haven't  seen  a  flash  to-night." 

"It  is  very  rare,"  came  the  brief  reply. 

' '  Devilish  uncommunicative, ' '  thought  Lorry. 
319 


320-  GRAUSTARK 

After  a  moment  he  asked:    "How  far  do  we 
travel  to-night?" 

"A  number  of  miles. " 

"Then  I'm  going  to  take  off  this  wet  coat. 
It  weighs  a  ton.  Won't  you  remove  yours?" 
He  jerked  off  the  big  rain  coat  and  threw  it 
across  to  the  opposite  seat,  with  the  keys  and 
the  lantern.  There  was  a  moment's  hesitation 
on  the  part  of  his  companion,  and  then  a 
second  wet  coat  followed  the  first.  Their  rain 
helmets  were  also  tossed  aside.  "Makes  a  fel- 
low feel  more  comfortable. ' ' 

'This  has  been  too  easy  to  seem  like  an 
escape,"  went  on  Lorry,  looking  back  re- 
flectively over  the  surprises  of  the  night. 
"Maybe  I  am  dreaming.  Pinch  me." 

A  finger  and  a  thumb  came  together  on  the 
fleshy  part  of  his  arm,  causing  him  to  start, 
first  in  amazement,  then  in  pain.  He  had  not 
expected  his  reserved  guardian  to  obey  the 
command  literally. 

"I  am  awake,  thanks,"  he  laughed,  and  the 
hand  dropped  from  his  arm. 

After  this  there  was  a  longer  silence  than  at 
any  time  before.  The  soldier  drew  himself 
into  the  corner  of  the  seat,  an  action  which 
repelled  further  discussion,  it  seemed  to  Lorry, 
so  he  leaned  back  in  the  opposite  corner  and 


THE  SOLDIER  32* 

allowed  his  mind  to  wander  far  from  the  in- 
terior of  that  black,  stuffy  carriage.  Where 
was  he  going?  When  was  he  to  leave  Grau- 
stark?  Was  he  to  see  her  soon? 

Soon  the  carriage  left  the  smooth  streets  of 
Edelweiss  and  he  could  tell,  by  the  jolting  and 
careening,  that  they  were  in  the  country,  rac- 
ing over  a  rough,  rocky  road.  It  reminded  him 
of  an  overland  trip  he  had  taken  in  West  Vir- 
ginia some  months  before,  with  the  fairest  girl 
in  all  the  world  as  his  companion.  Now  he 
was  riding  in  her  carriage,  but  with  a  surly, 
untalkative  soldier  of  the  guard.  The  more 
he  allowed  his  thoughts  to  revel  in  the  Ameri- 
can ride  and  its  delights,  the  more  uncontrol- 
lable became  his  desire  to  see  the  one  who  had 
whirled  with  him  in ' '  Light-horse  Jerry's"  coach. 

"I  wish  to  know  how  soon  I  am  to  see  your 
mistress,"  he  exclaimed,  impulsively,  sitting 
up  and  striking  his  companion's  arm  by  way  of 
emphasis.  To  his  surprise  the  hand  was 
dashed  away,  and  he  distinctly  heard  the 
soldier  gasp,  "I  beg  your  pardon!"  he  cried, 
fearing  that  he  had  given  pain  with  his  eager 
strength. 

"You  startled  me — I  was  half  asleep,"  stam- 
mered the  other,  apologetically.  "Whom  do 
you  mean  by  my  mistress?" 


322  GRAUSTARK 

"Her  Royal  Highness,  of  course,"  said 
Lorry,  impatiently. 

"I  cannot  say  when  you  are  to  see  the  Prin- 
cess," said  his  companion  after  waiting  so  long 
that  Lorry  felt  like  kicking  him. 

"Well,  see  here,  my  friend,  do  you  know 
why  I  agreed  to  leave  that  place  back  there? 
I  said  I  wouldn't  go  away  from  Graustark  until 
I  had  seen  her.  If  you  fellows  are  spiriting 
me  away — kidnapping  me,  as  it  were, — I  want 
to  tell  you  I  won't  have  it  that  way.  I  must 
know,  right  now,  where  we  are  going  in  this 
damnable  storm." 

"I  have  orders  to  tell  you  nothing,"  said  the 
soldier,  staunchly. 

"Orders,  eh!     From  whom?" 

"That  is  my  affair,  sir!" 

"I  guess  I'm  about  as  much  interested  in  this 
affair  as  anybody,  and  I  insist  on  knowing  our 
destination.  I  jumped  into  this  thing  blindly, 
but  I'm  going  to  see  my  way  out  of  it 
before  we  go  much  farther.  Where  are  we 
going?" 

"You — you  will  learn  that  soon  enough," 
insisted  the  other. 

"Am  I  to  see  her  soon?  That's  what  I  want 
to  know." 

"You  must  not  insist,"   cried  the    soldier. 


THE  SOLDIER  323 

"Why  are  you  so  anxious  to  see  her?"  he 
asked,  suddenly. 

"Don't  be  so  blamed  inquisitive,"  cried 
Grenfall,  angrily,  impatiently.  "Tell  me 
where  we  are  going  or  I'll  put  a  bullet  into 
you ! ' '  Drawing  his  revolver  he  leaned  over, 
grasped  the  guard  by  the  shoulder  and  placed 
the  muzzle  against  his  breast. 

"For  God's  sake,  be  calm!  You  would  not 
kill  me  for  obeying  orders !  I  am  serving  one 
you  love.  Are  you  mad?  I  shall  scream  if 
you  keep  pressing  that  horrid  thing  against 
my  side."  Lorry  felt  him  tremble,  and  was 
at  once  filled  with  compunction.  How  could 
he  expect  a  loyal  fellow  to  disobey  orders? 

"I  beg  your  pardon  a  thousand  times,"  he 
cried,  jamming  the  pistol  into  his  pocket. 
"You  are  a  brave  gentleman  and  I  am  a  fool. 
Take  me  where  you  will;  I'll  go  like  a  lamb. 
You'll  admit,  however,  that  it  is  exasperating 
to  be  going  in  the  dark  like  this. ' ' 

"It  is  a  very  good  thing  that  it  is  dark,"  said 
the  soldier,  quickly.  "The  darkness  is  very 
kind  to  us.  No  one  can  see  us  and  we  can  see 
no  one." 

"I  should  say  not.  I  haven't  the  faintest 
idea  what  you  look  like.  Have  I  seen  you  at 
the  castle?" 


324  GRAUSTARK 

"Yes,  frequently." 

"Will  you  tell  me  your  name?" 

"You  would  not  know  me  by  name." 

"Are  you  an  officer?" 

"No;  I  am  new  to  the  service." 

"Then  I'll  see  that  you  are  promoted.  I 
like  your  staunchness.  How  old  are  you?" 

4 '  I  am — er — twenty-two. ' ' 

"Of  the  nobility?" 

"My  father  was  of  noble  birth." 

"Then  you  must  be  so,  too.  I  hope  you'll 
forgive  my  rudeness.  I'm  a  bit  nervous,  you 
know." 

"I  forgive  you  gladly." 

"Devilish  rough  road,  this." 

"Devilish.     It  is  a  mountain  road." 

"That's  where  we  were,  too." 

"Where  who  were?" 

"Oh,  a  young  lady  and  I,  some  time  ago.  I 
just  happened  to  think  of  it." 

"It  could  not  have  been  pleasant." 

"You  never  made  a  bigger  mistake  in  your 
life." 

"Oh,  she  must  have  been  pretty,  then." 

"You  are  right  this  time.      She  is  glorious." 

"Pardon  me!  They  usually  are  in  such 
adventures." 

"By  Jove,  you're  a  clever  one!" 


THE  SOLDIER  325 

"Does  she  live  in  America?" 

"That's  none  of  your  affair." 

"Oh!"  and  then  there  was  silence  between 
them. 

"Inquisitive  fool!"  muttered  Gren  to  him- 
self. 

For  some  time  they  bumped  along  over  the 
rough  road,  jostling  against  each  other  fre- 
quently, both  enduring  stoically  and  silently. 
The  rain  was  still  falling,  but  the  thunder 
storm  had  lost  its  fury.  The  crashing  in  the 
sky  had  abated,  the  winds  were  not  so  fierce, 
the  night  was  being  shorn  of  its  terrors. 
Still  the  intense,  almost  suffocating  darkness 
prevailed.  But  for  the  occasional  touch  neither 
could  have  told  that  there  was  another  person 
on  the  seat.  Suddenly  Lorry  remembered  the 
lantern.  It  was  still  lit  with  the  slide  closed 
when  he  threw  it  on  the  seat.  Perhaps  it  still 
burned  and  could  relieve  the  oppressive  dark- 
ness if  but  for  a  short  time.  He  might,  at 
least,  satisfy  his  curiosity  and  look  upon  the 
face  of  his  companion.  Leaning  forward  he 
fumbled  among  the  traps  on  the  opposite 
seat. 

"I  think  I'll  see  if  the  lantern  is  lighted. 
Let's  have  it  a  little  more  cheerful  in  here," 
he  said.  There  was  a  sharp  exclamation,  and 


326  GRA  U STARK 

two  vigorous  hands  grasped  him  by  the 
shoulder,  jerking  him  back  unceremoniously. 

"No!  No!  You  will  ruin  all !  There  must 
be  no  light,"  cried  the  soldier,  his  voice  high 
and  shrill. 

"But  we  are  out  of  the  city." 

4 'I  know!  I  know!  But  I  will  not  permit 
you  to  have  a  light.  Against  orders.  We 
have  not  passed  the  outpost, ' '  expostulated  the 
other,  nervously. 

"What's  the  matter  with  your  voice?"  de- 
manded Lorry,  struck  by  the  change  in  it. 

"My  voice?"  asked  the  other,  the  tones  nat- 
ural again.  "It's  changing.  Didn't  it  embar- 
rass you  when  your  voice  broke  like  that?" 
went  on  the  questioner,  breathlessly.  Lorry 
was  now  leaning  back  in  the  seat,  quite  a  little 
mystified. 

"I  don't  believe  mine  ever  broke  like  that," 
he  said,  speculatively.  There  was  no  re- 
sponse, and  he  sat  silent  for  some  time,  regret- 
ting more  and  more  that  it  was  so  dark. 

Gradually  he  became  conscious  of  a  strange, 
unaccountable  presence  in  that  dark  cab.  He 
could  feel  a  change  coming  over  him ;  he  could 
not  tell  why,  but  he  was  sure  that  some  one 
else  was  beside  him,  some  one  who  was  not  the 
soldier.  Something  soft  and  delicate  and 


THE  SOLDIER  327 

sweet  came  into  existence,  permeating  the 
darkness  with  its  undeniable  presence.  A 
queer  power  seemed  drawing  him  toward  the 
other  end  of  the  seat.  The  most  delightful 
sensations  took  possession  of  him;  his  heart 
fluttered  oddly ;  his  head  began  to  reel  under 
the  spell. 

"Who  are  you?"  he  cried,  in  a  sort  of  ecstacy. 
There  was  no  answer.  He  remembered  his 
matchsafe,  and  with  trembling,  eager  fingers 
drew  it  from  the  pocket  of  the  coat  he  was 
wearing.  The  next  instant  he  was  scratching 
a  match,  but  as  it  flared  the  body  of  his  com- 
panion was  hurled  against  his  and  a  ruthless 
mouth  blew  out  the  feeble  blaze. 

"Oh,  why  do  you  persist?"  was  cried  in  his 
ears. 

"I  am  determined  to  see  your  face,"  he 
answered,  sharply,  and  with  a  little  cry  of  dis- 
may the  other  occupant  of  the  carriage  fell 
back  in  the  corner.  The  next  match  drove 
away  the  darkness  and  the  mystery.  With 
blinking  eyes  he  saw  the  timid  soldier  huddling 
in  the  corner,  one  arm  covering  his  face,  the 
other  hand  vainly  striving  to  pull  the  skirt  of  a 
military  coat  over  a  pair  of  red  trouser-legs. 
Below  the  arm  that  hid  the  eyes  and  nose  he 
saw  parted  lips  and  a  beardless,  dainty  chin ; 


328  GRAUSTARK 

above,  long,  dark  tresses  strayed  in  condemn 
ing  confusion.     The  breast  beneath  the  blue 
coat  heaved  convulsively. 

The  match  dropped  from  his  fingers,  and,  as 
darkness  fell  again,  it  hid  the  soldier  in  the 
strong  arms  of  the  fugitive — not  a  soldier  bold, 
but  a  gasping,  blushing,  unresisting  coward. 
The  lithe  form  quivered  and  then  became 
motionless  in  the  fierce,  straining  embrace; 
the  head  dropped  upon  his  shoulder,  his  hot 
lips  caressing  the  burning  face  and  pouring 
wild,  incoherent  words  into  the  little  ears. 

"You!  You!"  he  cried,  mad  with  joy. 
"Oh,  this  is  Heaven  itself!  My  brave  darling! 
Mine  forever — mine  forever !  You  shall  never 
leave  me  now!  Drive  on!  Drive  on!"  he 
shouted  to  the  men  outside,  drunk  with  happi- 
ness. "We'll  make  this  journey  endless.  I 
know  you  love  me  now — I  know  it!  God,  I 
shall  die  with  joy!" 

A  hand  stole  gently  into  his  hand,  and  her 
lips  found  his  in  a  long,  passionate  kiss. 

"I  did  not  want  you  to  know!  Ach,  I  am  so 
sorry!  Why,  why  did  I  come  to-night?  I  was 
so  strong,  so  firm,  I  thought,  but  see  how  weak 
I  am.  You  dominate, — you  own  me,  body  and 
soul,  in  spite  of  everything, — against  my  will. 
I  love  you— I  love  you — I  love  you!" 


THE  SOLDIER  329 

"I  have  won  against  the  princes  and  the 
potentates!  I  was  losing  hope,  my  Queen,  los- 
ing hope.  You  were  so  far  away,  so  unattain- 
able. I  would  brave  a  thousand  deaths  rather 
than  lose  this  single  minute  of  my  life.  It 
makes  me  the  richest  man  in  all  the  world. 
How  brave  you  are!  This  night  you  have 
given  up  everything  for  my  sake.  You  are 
fleeing  with  me,  away  from  all  that  has  been 
dear  to  you." 

"No,  no.  You  must  not  be  deluded.  It  is 
only  for  to-night,  only  till  you  are  safe  from 
pursuit.  I  shall  go  back.  You  must  not  hope 
for  more  than  this  hour  of  weakness,  sweet  as 
it  is  to  me,"  she  cried. 

"You  are  going  back  and  not  with  me?"  he 
cried,  his  heart  chilling. 

"You  know  I  cannot.  That  is  why  I  hoped 
you  would  never  know  how  much  I  care  for 
you.  Alas,  you  have  found  me  out!  My  love 
was  made  rash  by  fear.  You  could  never  have 
escaped  the  vengeance  of  Axphain.  I  could 
not  have  shielded  you.  This  was  the  only 
course  and  I  dared  not  hesitate.  I  should  have 
died  with  terror  had  you  gone  to  trial,  knowing 
what  I  knew.  You  will  not  think  me  un- 
womanly for  coming  with  you  as  I  am.  It  was 
necessary — really  it  was!  No  one  else  could 


330  GRAUSTARK 

have ' '  But  he  smothered  the  wail  in 

kisses. 

"Unwomanly!"  he  exclaimed.  "It  was  by 
divine  inspiration.  But  you  will  come  with 
me,  away  from  Graustark,  away  from  every 
one.  Say  that  you  will!" 

"I  cannot  bear  to  hear  you  plead,  and  it 
breaks  my  heart  to  go  back  there.  But  I  can- 
not leave  Graustark — I  cannot!  It  would  be 
Heaven  to  go  with  you  to  the  end  of  the  world, 
but  I  have  others  besides  myself  to  consider. 
You  are  my  god,  my  idol.  I  can  worship  you 
from  my  unhappy  throne,  from  my  chamber, 
from  the  cell  into  which  my  heart  is  to  retreat. 
But  I  cannot,  I  will  not  desert  Graustark.  Not 
even  for  you ! ' ' 

He  was  silent,  impressed  by  her  nobility,  her 
loyalty.  Although  the  joy  ebbed  from  his 
craving  heart,  he  saw  the  justice  of  her  self- 
sacrifice. 

"I  would  give  my  soul  to  see  your  face  now, 
Yetive.  Your  soul  is  in  your  eyes ;  I  can  feel 
it.  Why  did  you  not  let  me  stay  in  prison,  meet 
death  and  so  end  all?  It  would  have  been  bet- 
ter for  both  of  us.  I  cannot  live  without  you. " 

"We  can  live  for  each  other,  die  for  each 
other, — apart.  Distance  will  not  lessen  my 
love.  You  know  that  it  exists;  it  has  been 


THE  SOLDIER  33  J 

betrayed  to  you.  Can  you  not  be  satisfied — 
just  a  little  bit — with  that  knowledge?"  she 
pleaded. 

"But  I  want  you  in  reality,  not  in  my 
dreams,  my  imagination. ' ' 

"Ach,  we  must  not  talk  like  this!  There  is 
no  alternative.  You  are  to  go,  I  am  to  stay. 
The  future  is  before  us;  God  knows  what  it 
may  bring  to  us.  Perhaps  it  may  be  good 
enough  to  give  us  happiness — who  knows?  Do 
not  plead  with  me.  I  cannot  endure  it.  Let 
me  be  strong  again !  You  will  not  be  so  cruel 
as  to  battle  against  me,  now  that  I  am  weak ; 
it  would  only  mean  my  destruction.  You  do 
not  seek  that ! ' ' 

His  soul,  his  honor,  the  greatest  reverence 
he  had  ever  known  were  in  the  kiss  that  touched 
her  brow. 

"I  shall  love  you  as  you  command — without 
hope,"  he  said,  sadly. 

"Without  hope  for  either,"  she  sobbed. 

"My  poor  little  soldier,"  he  whispered,  lov- 
ingly, as  her  body  writhed  under  the  storm  of 
tears. 

"I — I  wish — I  were  a — soldier!"  she  wailed. 
He  comforted  her  as  best  he  could  and  soon 
she  was  quiet — oh,  so  very  quiet.  Her  head 
was  on  his  shoulder,  her  hands  in  his. 


33»  GRA  USTARK 

"How  far  do  we  drive?"  he  asked,  at 
last. 

"To  the  monastery.  We  are  nearly  there," 
she  answered,  in  tones  far  away. 

"The  monastery?  Why  do  we  go  there?"  he 
cried. 

"You  are  to  stay  there." 

"What  do  you  mean?  I  thought  I  was  to 
leave  Graustark." 

"You  are  to  leave — later  on.  Until  the  ex- 
citement is  over  the  abbey  is  to  be  your  hiding 
place.  I  have  arranged  everything,  and  it  is 
the  only  safe  place  on  earth  for  you  at  this 
time.  No  one  will  think  of  looking  for  you  up 
there." 

"I  would  to  God  I  could  stay  there  forever, 
living  above  you, ' '  he  said,  drearily. 

"Your  window  looks  down  upon  the  castle; 
mine  looks  up  to  yours.  The  lights  that  burn 
in  those  two  windows  will  send  out  beams  of 
love  and  life  for  one  of  us,  at  least." 

"For  both  of  us,  my  sweetheart,"  he  cor- 
rected, fondly.  "You  say  I  will  be  safe  there. 
Can  you  trust  these  men  who  are  aiding  you?" 

' '  With  my  life !  Quinnox  carried  a  message 
to  the  Abbot  yesterday,  and  he  grants  you  a 
temporary  home  there,  secure  and  as  secret  as 
the  tomb.  He  promises  me  this,  and  he  is  my 


THE  SOLDIER  333 

best  friend.  Now,  let  me  tell  you  why  I  am 
with  you,  masquerading  so  shamefully " 

"Adorably!"  he  protested. 

"It  is  because  the  Abbot  insisted  that  I  bring 
you  to  him  personally.  He  will  not  receive 
you  except  from  my  hands.  There  was  noth- 
ing else  for  me  to  do,  then,  was  there,  Lorry? 
I  was  compelled  to  come  and  I  could  not  come 
as  the  Princess — as  a  woman.  Discovery 
would  have  meant  degradation  from  which  I 
could  not  have  hoped  to  recover.  The  mili- 
tary garments  were  my  only  safeguard." 

"And  how  many  people  know  of  your — 
deception?" 

"Three — besides  yourself.  Dagmar,  Quin- 
nox  and  Captain  Dangloss.  The  Abbot  will 
know  later  on,  and  I  shiver  as  I  think  of  it. 
The  driver  and  the  man  who  went  to  your  cell, 
Ogbot,  know  of  the  escape,  but  do  not  know  I 
am  here.  Allode — you  remember  him — is  our 
driver." 

"Allode?  He's  the  fellow  who  saw  me — er — 
who  was  in  the  throne  room." 

"He  is  the  man  who  saw  nothing,  sir." 

"I  remember  his  obedience,"  he  said,  laugh- 
ing in  spite  of  his  unhappiness.  "Am  I  to 
have  no  freedom  up  here — no  liberty,  at  all?" 

"You  are  to  act  as  the  Abbot  or  the  prior 


334  GRA  U STARK 

instructs.  And,  I  must  not  forget,  Quinnox 
will  visit  you  occasionally.  He  will  conduct 
you  from  the  monastery  and  to  the  border  line 
at  the  proper  time." 

"Alas!  He  will  be  my  murderer,  I  fear. 
Yetive,  you  do  not  believe  I  killed  Lorenz.  I 
know  that  most  of  them  do,  but,  I  swear  to 
you,  I  am  no  more  the  perpetrator  of  that  cow- 
ardly crime  than  you.  God  bears  testimony  to 
my  innocence.  I  want  to  hear  you  say  that 
you  do  not  believe  I  killed  him." 

"I  feared  so  at  first, — no,  do  not  be  angry — I 
feared  you  had  killed  him  for  my  sake.  But 
now  I  am  sure  that  you  are  innocent." 

The  carriage  stopped  too  soon  and  Quinnox 
opened  the  door.  It  was  still  as  dark  as  pitch, 
but  the  downpour  had  ceased  except  for  a  dis- 
agreeable, misty  drizzle,  cold  and  penetrating. 

"We  have  reached  the  stopping  place, "  he 
said. 

"And  we  are  to  walk  from  here  to  the  gate," 
said  the  Princess,  resuming  her  hoarse,  manly 
tones.  While  they  were  busy  donning  their 
rain  coats,  she  whispered  in  Lorry's  ear:  "I 
beg  of  you,  do  not  let  him  know  that  you  have 
discovered  who  I  am. ' '  • 

He  promised,  and  lightly  snatched  a  kiss,  an 
act  of  indiscretion  that  almost  brought  fatal 


THE  SOLDIER  335 

results.  Forgetful  of  the  darkness,  she  gave 
vent  to  a  little  protesting  shriek,  fearing  that 
the  eyes  of  the  captain  had  witnessed  the 
pretty  transgression.  Lorry  laughed  as  he 
sprang  to  the  road  and  turned  to  assist  her  in 
alighting.  She  promptly  and  thoughtfully 
averted  the  danger  his  gallantry  presented  by 
ignoring  the  outstretched  hands,  discernible  as 
slender  shadows  protruding  from  an  object  a 
shade  darker  than  the  night,  and  leaped  boldly 
to  the  ground.  The  driver  was  instructed  to 
turn  the  carriage  about  and  to  await  their 
return. 

With  Lorry  in  the  center  the  trio  walked 
rapidly  off  in  the  darkness,  the  fugitive  with 
the  sense  of  fear  that  belongs  only  to  a  blind 
man.  A  little  light  far  ahead  told  the  position 
of  the  gate,  and  for  this  they  bent  their  steps, 
Lorry  and  Quinnox  conversing  in  low  tones, 
the  Princess  striding  along  silently  beside  the 
former,  her  hand  in  his — a  fact  of  which  the 
real  soldier  was  totally  unaware.  Reaching 
the  gate,  the  captain  pounded  vigorously,  and 
a  sleepy  monk  soon  peered  from  the  little  win- 
dow through  which  shone  the  light. 

"On  important  business  with  the  Abbot,  from 
Her  Royal  Highness,  the  Princess  Yetive,"  said 
Quinnox,  in  response  to  a  sharp  query,  spoken 


336  GRA  USTARK 

in  the  Graustark  tongue.  A  little  gate  beside 
the  big  one  opened  and  the  monk,  lantern  in 
hand,  bade  them  enter. 

"Await  me  here,  captain,"  commanded  the 
slim,  straight  soldier,  with  face  turned  from 
the  light.  A  moment  later  the  gate  closed 
and  Lorry  was  behind  the  walls  of  St.  Valen- 
tine's, a  prisoner  again.  The  monk  preceded 
them  across  the  dark  court  toward  the  great 
black  mass,  his  lantern  creating  ghastly 
shadows  against  the  broken  mist.  His  follow- 
ers dropped  some  little  distance  behind,  the 
tall  one's  arm  stealing  about  the  other's  waist, 
his  head  bending  to  a  level  with  hers. 

"Is  it  to  be  good-by,  dearest?"  he  asked. 
"Good-by  forever?" 

"I  cannot  say  that.  It  would  be  like  wish- 
ing you  dead.  Yet  there  is  no  hope.  No,  no ! 
We  will  not  say  good-by, — forever,"  she  said, 
despairingly. 

"Won't  you  bid  me  hope?" 

"Impossible!  You  will  stay  here  until 
Quinnox  comes  to  take  you  away.  Then  you 
must  not  stop  until  you  are  in  your  own  land. 
We  may  meet  again " 

"Yes,  by  my  soul,  we  shall  meet  again!  I'll 
do  as  you  bid  and  all  that,  but  I'll  come  back 
when  I  can  stay  away  no  longer.  Go  to  your 


THE  SOLDIER  337 

castle  and  look  forward  to  the  day  that  will  find 
me  at  your  feet  again..  It  is  bound  to  come. 
But  how  are  you  to  return  to  the  castle  to- 
night and  enter  without  creating  suspicion? 
Have  you  thought  of  that?" 

"Am  I  a  child?  Inside  of  three  hours  I  shall 
be  safely  in  my  bed  and  but  one  person  in  the 
castle  will  be  the  wiser  for  my  absence.  Here 
are  the  portals."  They  passed  inside  the 
massive  doors  and  halted.  "You  must  remain 
here  until  I  have  seen  the  prior,"  she  said, 
laughing  nervously  and  glancing  down  at  the 
boots  which  showed  beneath  the  long  coat. 
Then  she  hastily  followed  the  monk,  disap- 
pearing down  the  corridor.  In  ten  minutes — 
ten  hours  to  Lorry — she  returned  with  her 
guide. 

"He  will  take  you  to  your  room,"  she  said 
breathlessly,  displaying  unmistakable  signs  of 
embarrassment.  "The  prior  was  shocked. 
Good-by,  and  God  be  with  you  always.  Re- 
member, I  love  you!" 

The  monk's  back  was  turned,  so  the  new 
recluse  snatched  the  slight  figure  to  his  heart. 

"Some  day?"  he  whispered. 

She  would  not  speak,  but  he  held  her  until 
she  nodded  her  head. 


XX 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL 

"The  American  has  escaped!"  was  the  cry 
that  spread  through  Edelweiss  the  next  morn- 
ing. 

It  brought  undisguised  relief  to  the  faces  of 
thousands ;  there  was  not  one  who  upbraided 
Baron  Dangloss  for  his  astounding  negligence. 
Never  before  had  a  criminal  escaped  from  the 
Tower.  The  only  excuse,  uttered  in  woe-be- 
gone  tone,  was  that  the  prison  had  not  been 
constructed  or  manned  for  such  clever  scoun- 
drels as  Yankees — good  name  for  audacity. 
But  as  nobody  criticised,  his  explanation  was 
taken  good-naturedly  and  there  was  secret  re- 
joicing in  the  city.  Of  course,  everybody 
wondered  where  the  prisoner  had  gone;  most 
of  them  feared  that  he  could  not  escape  the 
officers,  while  others  shrewdly  smiled  and 
expressed  themselves  as  confident  that  so 
clever  a  gentleman  could  not  be  caught.  They 
marveled  at  his  boldness,  his  ingenuity,  his 
assurance. 

The  full  story  of  the  daring  break  for  liberty 
338 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL         339 

flashed  from  lip  to  lip  during  the  day,  and  it 
was  known  all  over  the  water-swept  city  before 
noon.  Baron  Dangloss,  himself,  had  gone  to 
the  prisoner's  cell  early  in  the  morning,  mysti- 
fied by  the  continued  absence  of  the  guard. 
The  door  was  locked,  but  from  within  came 
groans  and  cries.  Alarmed  at  once,  the  Cap- 
tain procured  duplicate  keys  and  entered  the 
cell.  There  he  found  the  helpless,  blood-cov- 
ered Ogbot,  bound  hand  and  foot  and  almost 
dead  from  loss  of  blood.  The  clothes  of  the 
American  were  on  the  floor,  while  his  own 
were  missing,  gone  with  the  prisoner.  Ogbot, 
as  soon  as  he  was  able,  related  his  experience 
of  the  night  before.  It  was  while  making  his 
rounds  at  midnight  that  he  heard  moans  from 
the  cell.  Animated  by  a  feeling  of  pity  he 
opened  the  slab  door  and  asked  if  he  were  ill. 
The  wretched  American  was  lying  on  the  bed, 
apparently  suffering.  He  said  something 
which  the  guard  could  not  understand  but 
which  he  took  to  be  a  plea  for  assistance.  Not 
suspecting  a  trick,  the  kindly  guard  unlocked 
the  second  door  and  stepped  to  the  bedside, 
only  to  have  the  sick  man  rise  suddenly  and 
deal  him  a  treacherous  blow  over  the  head  with 
the  heavy  stool  he  had  secreted  behind  him. 
Ogbot  knew  nothing  of  what  followed,  so 


34°  GRA  USTARK 

effective  was  the  blow.  When  he  regained 
consciousness  he  was  lying  on  the  bed,  just  as 
the  Captain  had  found  him.  The  poor  fellow, 
overwhelmed  by  the  enormity  of  his  mistake, 
begged  Dangloss  to  shoot  him  at  once.  But 
Dangloss  had  him  conveyed  to  the  hospital 
ward  and  tenderly  cared  for. 

Three  guards  in  one  of  the  offices  saw  a  man 
whom  they  supposed  to  be  Ogbot  pass  from  the 
prison  shortly  after  twelve,  and  the  mortified 
Chief  admitted  that  some  one  had  gone  through 
his  private  apartment.  As  the  prisoner  had 
taken  Ogbot's  keys  he  experienced  little 
difficulty  in  getting  outside  the  gates.  But, 
vowed  Dangloss  stormily,  he  should  be  recap- 
tured if  it  required  the  efforts  of  all  the  police- 
men in  Edelweiss.  With  this  very  brave 
declaration  in  mind  he  despatched  men  to 
search  every  street  and  every  alley,  every  cel- 
lar and  every  attic  in  the  city.  Messengers 
were  sent  to  all  towns  in  the  district;  armed 
posses  scoured  the  valley  and  the  surrounding 
forests,  explored  the  caves  and  brush  heaps 
for  miles  around.  The  chagrin  of  the  grim  old 
Captain,  who  had  never  lost  a  prisoner,  was 
pitiful  to  behold. 

The  forenoon  was  half  over  before  Harry 
Anguish  heard  of  his  friend's  escape.  To  say 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL         341 

that  he  was  paralyzed  would  be  putting  it 
much  too  mildly.  There  is  no  language  that 
can  adequately  describe  his  sensations.  For- 
getting his  bodyguard,  he  tore  down  the  street 
toward  the  prison,  wild  with  anxiety  and 
doubt.  He  met  Baron  Dangloss,  tired  and 
worn,  near  the  gate,  but  the  old  officer  could 
tell  him  nothing  except  what  he  had  learned 
from  Ogbot.  Of  one  thing  there  could  be  no 
doubt :  Lorry  was  gone.  Not  knowing  where 
to  turn  nor  what  to  do,  Anguish  raced  off  to 
the  castle,  his  bodyguard  having  located  him  in 
the  meantime.  He  was  more  in  need  of  their 
protection  than  ever.  At  the  castle  gates  he 
encountered  a  party  of  raving  Axphainians, 
crazed  with  anger  over  the  flight  of  the  man 
whose  life  they  had  thirsted  for  so  ravenously. 
Had  he  been  unprotected,  Anguish  would  have 
fared  badly  at  their  hands,  for  they  were  out- 
spoken in  their  assertions  that  he  had  aided 
Lorry  in  the  escape.  One  fiery  little  fellow 
cast  a  glove  in  the  American's  face  and  ex- 
pected a  challenge.  Anguish  snapped  his 
fingers  and  sarcastically  invited  the  insulter  to 
meet  him  next  winter  in  a  battle  with  snow- 
balls, upon  which  the  aggressor  blasphemed  in 
three  languages  and  three  hundred  gestures. 
Anguish  and  his  men  passed  inside  the  gates, 


342  GRA  USTARK 

which  had  been  barred  to  the  others,  and 
struck  out  rapidly  for  the  castle  doors. 

The  Princess  Yetive  was  sleeping  soundly, 
peacefully,  with  a  smile  on  her  lips,  when  her 
Prime  Minister  sent  an  excited  attendant  to  in- 
form her  of  the  prisoner's  escape.  She  sat  up 
in  bed,  and,  with  her  hands  clasped  about  her 
knees,  sleepily  announced  that  she  would  re- 
ceive him  after  her  coffee  was  served.  Then 
she  thought  of  the  wild,  sweet  ride  to  the 
monastery,  the  dangerous  return,  her  entrance 
to  the  castle  through  the  secret  subterranean 
passage  and  the  safe  arrival  in  her  own  room. 
All  had  gone  well  and  he  was  safe.  She  smiled 
quaintly  as  she  glanced  at  the  bundle  of  clothes 
on  the  floor,  blue  and  black  and  red.  They 
had  been  removed  in  the  underground  passage 
and  a  loose  gown  substituted,  but  she  had 
carried  them  to  her  chamber  with  the  intention 
of  placing  them  for  the  time  being  in  the  old 
mahogany  chest  that  held  so  many  of  her  child- 
hood treasures.  Springing  out  of  bed,  she 
opened  the  chest,  cast  them  into  its  depths, 
turned  and  removed  the  key  which  had  always 
remained  in  the  lock.  Then  she  summoned 
her  maids. 

Her  uncle  and  aunt,  the  Countess  Dagmar 
(whose  merry  brown  eyes  were  so  full  of  pre- 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL        343 

tended  dismay  that  the  Princess  could  scarcely 
restrain  a  smile),  and  Gaspon,  the  minister  of 
finance,  were  awaiting  her  appearance.  She 
heard  the  count's  story  of  the  escape,  marveled 
at  the  prisoner's  audacity,  and  firmly  an- 
nounced that  everything  possible  should  be 
done  to  apprehend  him.  With  a  perplexed 
frown  on  her  brow  and  a  dubious  twist  to  her 
lips,  she  said: 

"I  suppose  I  must  offer  a  reward." 

"Certainly!"  exclaimed  her  uncle. 

"About  fifty  gavvos,  uncle?" 

"Fifty!"  cried  the  two  men,  aghast. 

"Isn't  that  enough?" 

"For  the  murderer  of  a  prince?"  demanded 
Gaspon.  "It  would  be  absurd,  your  Highness. 
He  is  a  most  important  person." 

"Quite  so;  he  is  a  most  important  person.  I 
think  I'll  offer  five  thousand  gavvos." 

"More  like  it.  He  is  worth  that,  at  least," 
agreed  Uncle  Caspar. 

"Beyond  a  doubt,"  sanctioned  Gaspon. 

"I  am  glad  you  do  not  consider  me  extrav- 
agant," she  said,  demurely.  "You  may  have 
the  placards  printed  at  once,"  she  went  on, 
addressing  the  treasurer.  "Say  that  a  reward 
of  five  thousand  gavvos  will  be  paid  to  the  per- 
son who  delivers  Grenfall  Lorry  to  me." 


344  GRA  U STARK 

"Would  it  not  be  better  to  say  'delivers  Gren- 
fall  Lorry  to  the  Tower'?"  submitted  Gaspon. 

"You  may  say  'to  the  undersigned,'  and  sign 
my  name, ' '  she  said,  reflectively. 

"Very  well,  your  highness.  They  shall  be 
struck  off  this  morning." 

"In  large  type,  Gaspon.  You  must  catch 
him  if  you  can,"  she  added.  "He  is  a  very 
dangerous  man  and  royalty  needs  protection. ' ' 
With  this  wise  bit  of  caution  she  dismissed  the 
subject  and  began  to  talk  of  the  storm. 

As  the  two  young  plotters  were  hastening  up 
the  stairs  later  on,  an  attendant  approached  and 
informed  the  Princess  that  Mr.  Anguish  re- 
quested an  audience. 

"Conduct  him  to  my  boudoir,"  she  said,  her 
eyes  sparkling  with  triumph.  In  the  seclusion 
of  the  boudoir  she  and  the  Countess  laughed 
like  children  over  the  reward  that  had  been  so 
solemnly  ordered. 

"Five  thousand  gavvos!"  cried  Dagmar, 
leaning  back  in  her  chair,  to  emphasize  the 
delight  she  felt.  "What  a  joke!" 

Tap,  tap !  came  a  knock  on  the  door,  and  in 
the  same  instant  it  flew  open,  for  Mr.  Anguish 
was  in  a  hurry.  As  he  plunged  into  their  pres- 
ence a  pair  of  heels  found  the  floor  spas- 
modically. 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL         345 

"Oh,  I  beg  pardon!"  he  gasped,  as  if  about 
to  fly.  "May  I  come  in?" 

"Not  unless  you  go  outside.  You  are 
already  in,  it  seems,"  said  the  Princess,  ad- 
vancing to  meet  him.  The  Countess  was  very 
still  and  sedate.  "I  am  so  glad  you  have 
come." 

"Heard  about  Lorry?  The  fool  is  out  and 
gone,"  he  cried,  unable  to  restrain  himself. 
Without  a  word  she  dragged  him  to  the  divan, 
and,  between  them,  he  .soon  had  the  whole 
story  poured  into  his  ears,  the  Princess  on  one 
side,  the  Countess  on  the  other. 

"You  are  a  wonder!"  he  exclaimed,  when 
all  the  facts  were  known  to  him.  He  executed 
a  little  dance  of  approval,  entirely  out  of  place 
in  the  boudoir  of  a  princess,  but  very  much  in 
touch  with  prevailing  sentiment.  "But  what's 
to  become  of  me?"  he  asked,  after  cooling 
down.  "I  have  no  excuse  for  remaining  in 
Graustark  and  I  don't  like  to  leave  him  here, 
either." 

"Oh,  I  have  made  plans  for  you,"  said  she. 
"You  are  to  be  held  as  hostage." 

"What!" 

"I  thought  of  your  predicament  last  night, 
and  here  is  the  solution.  This  very  day  I 
shall  issue  an  order  forbidding  you  the  right  to 


346  GRA  USTARK 

leave  Edelweiss.  You  will  not  be  in  prison, 
but  your  every  movement  is  to  be  watched. 
A  strong  guard  will  have  you  under  surveil- 
lance, and  any  attempt  to  escape  or  to  com- 
municate with  your  friend  will  result  in  your 
confinement  and  his  detection.  In  this  way 
you  may  stay  here  until  the  time  comes  to  fly. 
The  Axphain  people  must  be  satisfied,  you 
know.  Your  freedom  will  not  be  disturbed; 
you  may  come  and  go  as  you  like,  but  you  are 
ostensibly  a  prisoner.  By  detaining  you  for- 
cibly we  gain  a  point,  for  you  are  needed  here. 
There  is  no  other  way  in  which  you  can  explain 
a  continued  presence  in  Graustark.  Is  not  my 
plan  a  good  one?" 

He  gazed  in  admiration  at  her  flushed  cheeks 
and  glowing  eyes. 

"It  is  beyond  comparison,"  he  said,  rising 
and  bowing  low.  "So  shrewd  is  this  plan  that 
you  make  me  a  hostage  forever;  I  shall  not 
escape  its  memory  if  I  live  to  be  a  thous- 
and." 

And  so  it  was  settled,  in  this  pretty  drama  of 
deception,  that  Harry  Anguish  was  to  be  held 
in  Edelweiss  as  hostage.  At  parting  she  said, 
seriously : 

"A  great  deal  depends  on  your  discretion. 
Mr.  Anguish.  My  guards  will  watch  your 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL         347 

every  action,  for  they  are  not  in  the  secret, — 
excepting  Quinnox, — and  any  attempt  on  your 
part  to  communicate  with  Grenfall  Lorry  will 
be  fatal." 

"Trust  me,  your  Highness.  I  have  had 
much  instruction  in  wisdom  to-day." 

"I  hope  we  shall  see  you  often,"  she  said. 

"Daily — as  a  hostage,"  he  replied,  glancing 
toward  the  Countess. 

"That  means  until  the  other  man  is  cap- 
tured," said  that  young  lady,  saucily. 

As  he  left  the  castle  he  gazed  at  the  distant 
building  in  the  sky  and  wondered  how  it  had 
ever  been  approached  in  a  carriage.  She  had 
not  told  him  that  Allode  drove  for  miles  over 
winding  roads  that  led  to  the  monastery  up  a 
gentler  slope  from  the  rear. 

The  next  afternoon  Edelweiss  thrilled  with  a 
new  excitement.  Prince  Bolaroz  of  Axphain, 
mad  with  grief  and  rage,  came  thundering  into 
the  city  with  his  Court  at  his  heels.  His  wrath 
had  been  increased  until  it  resembled  a  tornado 
when  he  read  the  reward  placard  in  the  up- 
lands. Not  until  then  did  he  know  that  the 
murderer  had  escaped  and  that  vengeance 
might  be  denied  him. 

After  viewing  the  body  of  Lorenz  as  it  lay  in 
the  sarcophagus  of  the  royal  palace,  where  it 


348  GRA  USTARK 

had  been  borne  at  the  command  of  the  Princess 
Yetive,  he  demanded  audience  with  his  son's 
betrothed,  and  it  was  with  fear  that  she  pre- 
pared for  the  trying  ordeal,  an  interview  with 
the  grief -crazed  old  man.  The  castle  was  in  a 
furore ;  its  halls  soon  thronged  with  diplomatists 
and  there  was  an  ugly  sense  of  trouble  in  the 
air,  suggestive  of  the  explosion  which  follows 
the  igniting  of  a  powder  magazine. 

The  slim,  pale-faced  Princess  met  the  burly 
old  ruler  in  the  grand  council  chamber.  He 
and  his  nobles  had  been  kept  waiting  but  a 
short  time.  Within  a  very  few  minutes  after 
they  had  been  conducted  to  the  chamber  by 
Count  Halfont  and  other  dignitaries,  the  fair 
ruler  came  into  the  room  and  advanced  be- 
tween the  bowing  lines  of  courtiers  to  the  spot 
where  sat  the  man  who  held  Graustark  in  his 
grasp.  A  slender,  graceful  figure  in  black, 
proud  and  serious,  she  walked  unhesitatingly 
to  the  old  man's  side.  If  she  feared  him,  if 
she  was  impressed  by  his  power,  she  did  not 
show  it.  The  little  drama  had  two  stars  of 
equal  magnitude,  neither  of  whom  acknowl- 
edged supremacy  in  the  other. 

Bolaroz  arose  as  she  drew  near,  his  gaunt 
face  black  and  unfriendly.  She  extended  her 
hand  graciously,  and  he,  a  prince  for  all  his 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL         349 

wrath,  touched  his  trembling  lips  to  its  white, 
smooth  back. 

"I  come  in  grief  and  sadness  to  your  Court, 
most  glorious  Yetive.  My  burden  of  sorrow  is 
greater  than  I  can  bear,"  he  said,  hoarsely. 

"Would  that  I  could  give  you  consolation," 
she  said,  sitting  in  the  chair  reserved  for  her 
use  at  council  gatherings.  "Alas!  it  grieves 
me  that  I  can  offer  nothing  more  than 
words." 

"You  are  the  one  he  would  have  made  his 
wife,"  said  the  old  Prince,  sitting  beside  her. 
He  looked  into  her  deep  blue  eyes  and  tears 
sprung  to  his  own.  His  voice  failed  him,  and 
long  moments  passed  before  he  could  control 
his  emotion.  Truly  she  pitied  him  in  his 
bereavement. 

Then  followed  a  formal  discussion  of  the 
crime  and  the  arrangement  of  details  in  con- 
nection with  the  removal  of  the  dead  Prince 
from  Graustark  to  his  own  land.  These  mat- 
ters settled,  Bolaroz  said  that  he  had  heard  of 
the  murderer's  escape  and  asked  what  effort 
was  being  made  to  re-capture  him.  Yetive 
related  all  that  had  happened,  expressing 
humiliation  over  the  fact  that  her  officers  had 
been  unable  to  accomplish  anything,  adding 
that  she  did  not  believe  the  fugitive  could  get 


350  GRAUSTARK 

away  from  Graustark  safely  without  her  knowl- 
edge. The  old  Prince  was  working  himself 
back  into  the  violent  rage  that  had  been  tem- 
porarily subdued;  and  at  last  broke  out  in  a 
vicious  denunciation  of  the  carelessness  that 
had  allowed  the  man  to  escape.  He  first  in- 
sisted that  Dangloss  and  his  incompetent  assist- 
ants be  thrown  into  prison  for  life  or  executed 
for  criminal  negligence;  then  he  demanded 
the  life  of  Harry  Anguish  as  an  aider  and 
abettor  in  the  flight  of  the  murderer.  In  both 
cases  the  Princess  firmly  refused  to  take  the 
action  demanded.  She  warmly  defended 
Dangloss  and  his  men,  and  announced  in  no 
uncertain  tones  that  she  would  not  order  the 
arrest  of  the  remaining  American.  Then  she 
acquainted  him  with  her  intention  to  detain 
Anguish  as  hostage  and  to  have  his  every 
action  watched  in  the  hope  that  a  clue  to  the 
whereabouts  of  the  fugitive  might  be  discov- 
ered, providing,  of  course,  that  the  friend  knew 
anything  at  all  about  the  matter.  The  Duke 
of  Mizrox  and  others  loudly  joined  in  the  cry 
for  Anguish's  arrest,  but  she  bravely  held  out 
against  them  and  in  the  end  curtly  informed 
them  that  the  American,  whom  she  believed 
to  be  innocent  of  all  complicity  in  the  escape, 
should  be  subjected  to  no  indignity  other  than 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL         35  * 

detention  in  the  city  under  guard,  as  she  had 
ordered. 

"I  insist  that  this  man  be  cast  into  prison  at 
once,"  snarled  the  white-lipped  Bolaroz. 

Her  eyes  flashed  and  her  bosom  heaved  with 
anger. 

"You  are  not  at  liberty  to  command  in  Grau- 
stark,  Prince  Bolaroz,"  she  said,  slowly  and 
distinctly.  "I  am  ruler  here." 

The  heart  of  every  Graustark  nobleman 
leaped  with  pride  at  this  daring  rebuff. 
Bolaroz  gasped  and  was  speechless  for  some 
seconds. 

"You  shall  not  be  ruler  long,  madam,"  he 
said,  malevolently,  significantly. 

"But  I  am  ruler  now,  and,  as  such,  I  ask 
your  Highness  to  withdraw  from  my  castle.  I 
did  not  know  that  I  was  to  submit  to  these 
threats  and  insults,  or  I  should  not  have  been 
kind  enough  to  grant  you  an  audience,  Prince 
though  you  are.  When  I  came  to  this  room  it 
was  to  give  you  my  deepest  sympathy  and  to 
receive  yours,  not  to  be  insulted.  You  have 
lost  a  son,  I  my  betrothed.  It  ill  becomes  you, 
Prince  Bolaroz,  to  vent  your  vindictiveness 
upon  me.  My  men  are  doing  all  in  their 
power  to  capture  the  man  who  has  so  unfortu- 
nately escaped  from  our  clutches,  and  I  shall 


352  GRAUSTARK 

not  allow  you  or  any  one  else  to  dictate  the 
manner  in  which  we  are  to  proceed."  She 
uttered  these  words  cuttingly,  and,  at  their 
conclusion,  arose  to  leave  the  room. 

Bolaroz  heard  her  through  in  surprise  and 
with  conflicting  emotions.  There  was  no  mis- 
taking her  indignation,  so  he  deemed  it  policy 
to  bottle  his  wrath,  overlook  the  most  offensive 
rebuke  his  vanity  had  ever  received,  and  sub- 
mit to  what  was  evidently  a  just  decision. 

"Stay,  your  Highness.  I  submit  to  your 
proposition  regarding  the  other  stranger,  al- 
though I  doubt  its  wisdom.  There  is  but  one 
in  whom  I  am  really  interested, — the  one  who 
killed  my  son.  There  is  to  be  no  cessation  in 
the  effort  to  find  him,  I  am  to  understand.  I 
now  have  a  proposition.  With  me  are  three 
hundred  of  my  bravest  soldiers.  I  offer  them 
to  you  in  order  that  you  may  better  prosecute 
the  search.  They  will  remain  here  and  you 
may  use  them  in  any  way  you  see  fit.  The 
Duke  of  Mizrox  will  linger  in  Edelweiss  and 
with  him  you  and  yours  may  always  confer. 
He,  also,  is  at  your  command.  This  man  must 
be  retaken.  I  swear,  by  all  that  is  above  and 
below  me,  he  shall  be  found,  if  I  hunt  the 
world  over  to  accomplish  that  end.  He  shall 
not  escape  my  vengeance !  And  hark  you  to 


THE  APPROACHING  ORDEAL         353 

this!  On  the  twentieth  of  next  month  I  shall 
demand  payment  of  the  debt  due  Axphain. 
So  deeply  is  my  heart  set  on  the  death  of  this 
Grenfall  Lorry  that  I  agree  now,  before  all 
these  friends  of  ours,  that  if  he  be  captured,  and 
executed  in  my  presence,  before  the  twentieth 
of  November,  Granstark  shall  be  granted  the 
extension  of  time  that  would  have  obtained  in 
the  event  of  your  espousal  with  the  man  he 
killed.  You  hear  this  offer,  all?  It  is  bound 
by  my  sacred  word  of  honor.  His  death  be- 
fore the  twentieth  gives  Graustark  ten  years  of 
grace.  If  he  is  still  at  large,  I  shall  claim  my 
own.  This  offer,  I  believe,  most  gracious 
Yetive,  will  greatly  encourage  your  people  in 
the  effort  to  capture  the  man  we  seek. ' ' 

The  Princess  heard  the  remarkable  proposi- 
tion with  face  deathly  pale,  heart  scarcely  beat- 
ing. Again  was  the  duty  to  Graustark  thrust 
cruelly  upon  her.  She  could  save  the  one  only 
by  sacrificing  the  other. 

"We  will  do  all  in  our  power  to — to  prove 
ourselves  grateful  for  your  magnanimous 
offer,"  she  said.  As  she  passed  from  the 
room,  followed  by  her  uncle,  she  heard  the 
increasing  buzz  of  excitement  on  all  sides,  the 
unrestrained  expressions  of  amazement  and 
relief  from  her  own  subjects,  the  patronizing 


354  GRA  USTARK 

comments  of  the  visitors,  all  conspiring  to 
sound  her  doom.  Which  way  was  she  to  turn 
in  order  to  escape  from  herself? 

"We  must  catch  this  man,  Yetive,"  said 
Halfont,  on  the  stairway.  "There  is  no  alter- 
native." 

"Except  our  inability  to  do  so,"  she  mur- 
mured. In  that  moment  she  determined  that 
Grenfall  Lorry  should  never  be  taken  if  she 
could  prevent  it.  He  was  innocent  and  it  was 
Graustaik's  penalty  to  pay. 

The  next  day,  amidst  pomp  and  splendor, 
the  Prince  of  Axphain  stai  ted  on  his  journey  to 
the  land  of  his  forefathers,  to  the  tombs  of  his 
ancestors,  all  Edelweiss  witnessing  the  impos- 
ing procession  that  made  its  way  through  the 
north  gates  of  the  town.  Far  up  on  the  moun- 
tain top  a  man,  looking  from  his  little  window, 
saw  the  black,  snakelike  procession  wind  away 
across  the  plain  to  the  northward,  losing  itself 
in  the  distant  hills. 


XXI 

FROM  A  WINDOW  ABOVE 

The  longest  month  in  Lorry's  life  was  that 
which  followed  his  romantic  flight  from  the 
Tower.  To  his  impatient  mind  the  days  were 
irksome  weeks.  The  cold  monastery  was 
worse  than  a  prison.  He  looked  from  its  win- 
dows as  a  convict  looks  through  his  bars, 
always  hoping,  always  disappointed.  With 
each  of  the  infrequent  visits  of  Captain  Quin- 
nox,  his  heart  leaped  at  the  prospect  of  liberty, 
only  to  sink  deeper  in  despair  upon  the  receipt 
of  emphatic,  though  kindly,  assurances  that 
the  time  had  not  yet  come  for  him  to  leave  the 
haven  of  safety  into  which  he  had  been  thrust 
by  loving  hands.  From  his  little  window  he 
could  see  the  active  city  below,  with  the 
adored  castle ;  to  his  nostrils  came  the  breath 
of  summer  from  the  coveted  valley,  filling  him 
with  almost  insupportable  longing  and  desire. 
Cold  were  the  winds  that  swept  about  his  lofty 
home;  ghastly,  grewsome  the  nights;  pallid 
and  desolate  the  days.  Out  of  the  world  was 
he,  dreary  and  heartsick,  while  at  his  feet 
355 


GRA  USTARK 

stretched  life  and  joy  and  love  in  their  rarest 
habiliments.  How  he  endured  the  suspense,' 
the  torture  of  uncertainty,  the  craving  for  the 
life  that  others  were  enjoying,  he  could  not 
understand.  Big,  strong  and  full  of  vigor,  his 
inactivity  was  maddening;  this  virtual  cap- 
tivity grew  more  and  more  intolerable  with 
each  succeeding  day.  Would  they  never  take 
him  from  the  tomb  in  which  he  was  existing? 
A  hundred  times  had  he,  in  his  desperation, 
concluded  to  flee  from  the  monastery,  come 
what  might,  and  to  trust  himself  to  the  joyous 
world  below,  but  the  ever-present  though  wan- 
ing spark  of  wisdom  won  out  against  the  fierce, 
aggressive  folly  that  mutinied  within  his  hun- 
gry soul.  He  knew  that  she  was  guarding 
him  with  loving,  tender  care,  and  that,  when 
the  proper  time  came,  the  shackles  of  danger 
would  drop  and  his  way  would  be  cleared. 

Still  there  was  the  longing,  the  craving,  the 
loneliness.  Day  after  day,  night  after  night 
went  by  and  the  end  seemed  no  nearer. 
Awake  or  asleep,  he  dreamed  of  her,  his  heart 
and  mind  always  full  of  that  one  rich  blessing, 
— her  love.  At  times  he  was  mad  with  the 
desire  to  know  what  she  was  doing,  what  she 
was  thinking  and  what  was  being  done  for  her 
down  there  in  that  busy  world.  Lying  on  his 


FROM  A    WINDOW  ABOVE       357 

pallet,  sitting  in  the  narrow  window,  pacing 
the  halls  or  wandering  about  the  cold  court- 
yards, he  thought  always  of  her,  hoping  and 
despairing  with  equal  fervor.  The  one  great 
question  that  made  his  imprisonment,  his 
inactivity  so  irksome  was :  Was  he  to  possess 
the  treasure  he  longed  so  much  to  call  his  own? 
In  those  tantalizing  moments  of  despair  he  felt 
that  if  he  were  free  and  near  her  he  could  win 
the  fight  against  all  odds.  As  it  was,  he  knew 
not  what  mischief  was  working  against  his 
chances  in  the  world  from  which  he  was  barred. 
The  prior  was  kind  to  him ;  everything  that 
could  be  done  to  provide  comfort  where  com- 
fort was  a  stranger  was  employed  in  his  behalf. 
He  lived  well — until  his  appetite  deserted  him ; 
he  had  no  questions  to  answer,  for  no  one 
asked  why  he  was  there ;  he  had  no  danger  to 
fear,  for  no  foe  knew  where  he  lived.  From 
the  city  came  the  promise  of  ultimate  escape ; 
verbal  messages  from  those  who  loved  him; 
news  of  the  world, — all  at  long  intervals,  how- 
ever. Quinnox's  visits  were  like  sunbeams  to 
him.  The  dashing  captain  came  only  at  night 
and  in  disguise.  He  bore  verbal  messages,  a 
wise  precaution  against  mishap.  Not  once  did 
he  bring  a  word  of  love  from  the  Princess,  an 
omission  which  caused  the  fugitive  deep  misery 


358  GRA  USTARK 

until  a  ray  of  intelligence  showed  him  that  she 
could  not  give  to  Quinnox  the  speeches  from 
her  heart,  proud  woman  that  she  was. 

Anguish  sent  words  of  cheer,  with  com- 
mands to  be  patient.  He  never  failed  to  tell 
him,  through  Quinnox,  that  he  was  doing  all 
in  his  power  to  find  the  real  murderer  and  that 
he  had  the  secret  co-operation  of  the  old  police 
captain.  Of  course,  the  hidden  man  heard  of 
the  reward  and  the  frenzied  search  prosecuted 
by  both  principalities.  He  laughed  hyster- 
ically over  the  deception  that  was  being  prac- 
ticed by  the  blue-eyed,  slender  woman  who 
held  the  key  to  the  situation  in  her  keeping. 

It  was  not  until  the  night  of  the  eighteenth 
of  November  that  Quinnox  confirmed  his  fears 
by  telling  him  of  the  conditions  imposed  by 
Prince  Bolaroz.  For  some  reason  the  young 
officer  had  deceived  Lorry  in  regard  to  the 
all-important  matter.  The  American  repeat- 
edly had  begged  for  information  about  the 
fatal  twentieth,  but  on  all  previous  occasions 
his  visitor  doggedly  maintained  a  show  of 
ignorance,  vowing  that  he  knew  nothing  of 
the  circumstances  Finally  Lorry,  completely 
out  of  patience  and  determined  to  know  the 
true  state  of  affairs,  soundly  upbraided  him 
and  sent  word  to  the  Princess  that  if  she 


FROM  A   WINDOW  ABOVE       359 

did  not  acquaint  him  with  the  inside  facts  he 
would  leave  the  monastery  and  find  them 
out  for  himself.  This  authoritative  message 
brought  Quinnox  back  two  nights  later  with 
the  full  story  of  the  exciting  conference.  She 
implored  him  to  remain  where  he  was,  and 
asked  his  forgiveness  for  having  kept  the  ugly 
truth  from  him.  Quinnox  added  to  his  anguish 
by  hastily  informing  him  that  there  was  a  pos- 
sibility of  succor  from  another  principality. 
Prince  Gabriel,  he  said,  not  knowing  that  he 
was  cutting  his  listener  to  the  heart,  was  daily 
with  the  Princess,  and  it  was  believed  that  he 
was  ready  to  loan  Graustark  sufficient  money 
to  meet  the  demand  of  Bolaroz.  The  mere 
thought  that  Gabriel  was  with  her  aroused  the 
fiercest  resentment  in  Lorry's  breast.  He 
writhed  beneath  the  knowledge  that  she  was 
compelled  to  endure  his  advances,  his  protesta- 
tions of  love,  his  presence. 

As  he  paced  his  narrow  room  distractedly  a 
horrid  thought  struck  him  so  violently  that  he 
cried  aloud  and  staggered  against  the  wall,  his 
eyes  fixed  on  the  face  of  the  startled  soldier. 
Perhaps  she  might  submit  to  Gabriel,  for  in 
submitting  she  could  save  not  only  Graustark, 
but  the  man  she  loved.  The  sacrifice — but  no! 
he  would  not  believe  that  such  affliction  could 


360  GRA  U STARK 

come  to  her!  Marry  Gabriel!  The  man  who 
had  planned  to  seize  her  and  make  her  his 
wanton!  He  ground  his  teeth  and  glared  at 
Quinnox  as  if  he  were  the  object  of  his  hatred, 
his  vicious  jealousy.  The  captain  stepped 
backward  in  sudden  alarm. 

"Don't  be  afraid!"  Lorry  cried,  savagely. 
"I'm  not  crazy.  It's  your  news — your  news! 
Does  she  expect  me  to  stay  up  here  while  that 
state  of  affairs  exists  down  there?  Let  me  see : 
this  is  the  eighteenth,  and  day  after  to-morrow 
is  the  twentieth.  There  is  no  time  to  be  lost, 
Captain  Quinnox.  I  shall  accompany  you  when 
you  leave  St.  Valentine's  to-night." 

"Impossible!"  exclaimed  Quinnox.  "I  can- 
not allow  that,  sir.  My  instructions  are  to ' ' 

"Hang  your  instructions!  All  the  instruc- 
tions on  earth  can't  compel  me  to  sit  up  here 
and  see  this  sacrifice  made.  I  am  determined 
to  see  her  and  put  a  stop  to  the  whole  affair. 
It  is  what  I  feared  would  come  to  pass.  She  is 
willing  to  sacrifice  herself  or  half  her  kingdom, 
one  or  the  other,  in  order  that  I  may  escape. 
It's  not  right,  captain,  it's  not  right,  and  I'm 
going  to  stop  it.  How  soon  can  we  leave  this 
place?"  He  was  pacing  the  floor,  happy  in  the 
decision  he  had  reached,  notwithstanding  the 
danger  it  promised. 


FROM  A   WINDOW  ABOVE      361 

"You  are  mad,  sir,  to  talk  like  this,"  pro- 
tested the  other,  despairingly.  "Edelweiss 
swarms  with  Axphain  soldiers;  our  own  men 
are  on  the  alert  to  win  the  great  reward.  You 
cannot  go  to  the  city.  When  a  safe  time 
comes,  you  will  be  taken  from  this  place,  into 
the  mountains  instead  of  through  the  city,  and 
given  escort  to  Dassas,  one  hundred  miles  east. 
That  step  will  not  be  taken  until  the  way  is 
perfectly  clear.  I  tell  you,  sir,  you  cannot 
hope  to  escape  if  you  leave  the  monastery  now. 
The  mountains  are  full  of  soldiers  every 
night." 

"I  didn't  say  anything  about  an  escape,  did 
I?  On  the  contrary,  I  want  to  give  myself  up 
to  her.  Then  she  can  have  Gabriel  thrown 
over  the  castle  wall  and  say  to  Bolaroz,  'Here 
is  your  man;  I've  gained  the  ten  years  of 
grace.'  That's  the  point,  Quinnox;  can't  you 
see  it?  And  I  want  to  say  to  you  now,  I'm 
going  whether  you  consent  or  refuse.  I'd  just 
as  soon  be  in  jail  down  there  as  up  here,  any- 
how. The  only  favor  I  have  to  ask  of  you  is 
that  you  do  the  best  you  can  to  get  me  safely 
to  her.  I  must  talk  with  her  before  I  go  back 
to  the  Tower." 

"God  help  me,  sir,  I  cannot  take  you  to 
her,"  groaned  Quinnox,  trying  to  control  his 


362  GRA  USTARK 

nervous  apprehension.  "I  have  sworn  to  her 
that  I  will  keep  you  from  all  harm,  and  it 
would  be  to  break  faith  with  her  if  I  led  you 
into  that  mob  down  there." 

"I  respect  your  oath,  my  friend,  but  I  am 
going,  just  the  same.  I'll  see  her,  too,  if  I 
have  to  shoot  every  man  who  attempts  to  pre- 
vent me.  I'm  desperate,  man,  desperate! 
She's  everything  in  the  world  to  me,  and  I'll 
die  before  I'll  see  her  suffer." 

Quinnox  calmly  placed  his  hands  on  the 
other's  shoulders,  and,  looking  him  in  the  eye, 
said  quietly: 

"Her  suffering  now  is  as  nothing  compared 
to  what  it  will  be  if  you  go  back  to  the  Tower. 
You  forget  how  much  pain  she  is  enduring  to 
avoid  that  very  suffering.  If  you  care  for  my 
mistress,  sir,  add  no  weight  to  the  burden  she 
already  carries.  Remain  here,  as  she  desires. 
You  can  be  of  no  service  down  there.  I  im- 
plore you  to  be  considerate. ' ' 

It  was  an  eloquent  appeal,  and  it  struck 
home.  Lorry  wavered,  but  his  resolution 
would  not  weaken.  He  argued,  first  with 
Quinnox,  then  with  himself,  finally  returning 
to  the  reckless  determination  to  brave  all  and 
save  her  from  herself.  The  soldier  begged 
him  to  listen  to  reason,  implored  him  to  recon- 


FROM  A   WINDOW  ABOVE      363 

sider,  at  last  turning  in  anger  upon  the  stub- 
born American  with  a  torrent  of  maledictions. 
Lorry  heard  him  through  and  quietly,  un- 
swervingly announced  that  he  was  ready  to 
leave  the  monastery  at  any  time  his  guide 
cared  to  depart.  Quinnox  gave  up  in  despair 
at  this,  gazing  hopelessly  at  the  man  he  had 
sworn  to  protect,  who  insisted  on  placing  his 
head  in  the  lion's  jaw.  He  sat  down  at  the 
window  and  murmured  dejectedly: 

"What  will  she  say  to  me — what  will  she  say 
to  me?" 

"I  shall  exonerate  you,  captain.  She  can 
have  no  fault  to  find  with  your  action  after  I 
have  told  her  how  loyal  you  are  and  how — 
how — well,  how  unreasonable  I  am,"  said 
Lorry,  kindly. 

"You  may  never  live  to  tell  her  this,  sir. 
Then  what  is  to  become  of  me?  I  could  not 
look  her  in  the  face  again.  I  could  only  die ! ' ' 

"Don't  be  so  faint-hearted,  Quinnox!"  cried 
Lorry,  stimulated  by  the  desire  to  be  with  her, 
recognizing  no  obstacle  that  might  thwart  him 
in  the  effort.  "We'll  get  through,  safe  and 
sound,  and  we'll  untangle  a  few  complications 
before  we  reach  the  end  of  the  book.  Brace 
up,  for  God's  sake,  for  mine,  for  hers,  for  your 
own.  I  must  get  to  her  before  everything  is 


364  GRA  USTARK 

lost.  My  God,  the  fear  that  she  may  marry 
Gabriel  will  drive  me  mad  if  I  am  left  here 
another  night.  Come!  Let  us  prepare  to 
start.  We  must  notify  the  Abbot  that  I  am  to 
go.  I  can  be  ready  in  five  minutes.  Ye 
Gods,  think  of  what  she  may  be  sacrificing  for 
me!" 

The  distracted  captain  gloomily  watched  the 
nervous  preparations  for  departure,  seeing  his 
own  disgrace  ahead  as  plainly  as  if  it  had 
already  come  upon  him.  Lorry  soon  was 
attired  in  the  guard's  uniform  he  had  worn 
from  the  Tower  a  month  before.  His  pistol 
was  in  his  pocket,  and  the  bunch  of  violets  she 
had  sent  to  him  that  very  night  was  pinned 
defiantly  above  his  heart.  Quinnox  smiled 
when  he  observed  this  bit  of  sentiment,  and 
grimly  informed  him  that  he  was  committing 
an  act  prohibited  in  Dangloss's  disciplinary 
rules.  Officers  on  duty  were  not  to  wear 
nosegays. 

"Dangloss  will  not  see  my  violets.  By  the 
way,  the  moon  shines  brightly,  doesn't  it?" 

*It  is  almost  as  light  as  day.  Our  trip  is 
made  extremely  hazardous  for  that  reason.  I 
am  sorely  afraid,  rash  sir,  that  we  cannot  reach 
the  castle  unseen." 

"We  must  go  about  it  boldly,  that's  all." 


FROM  A   WINDOW  ABOVE       365 

"Has  it  occurred  to  you,  sir,  that  you 
are  placing  me  in  a  terrible  position? 
What  excuse  can  I  have,  a  captain  of  the 
guard,  for  slinking  about  at  night  with  a 
man  whom  I  am  supposed  to  be  tracking  to 
earth?  Discovery  will  brand  me  as  a  traitor. 
I  cannot  deny  the  charge  without  exposing 
Her  Royal  Highness." 

Lorry  turned  cold.  He  had  not  thought  of 
this  alarming  possibility.  But  his  ready  wit 
came  again  to  his  relief,  and  with  bright,  confi- 
dent eyes  he  swept  away  the  obstacle. 

"If  discovered,  you  are  at  once  to  proclaim 
me  a  prisoner,  take  the  credit  for  having  caught 
me,  and  claim  the  reward. ' ' 

"In  that  case,  you  will  not  go  to  the  castle, 
but  to  the  Tower." 

"Not  if  you  obey  orders.  The  offer  of  re- 
ward says  that  I  must  be  delivered  to  the 
undersigned.  You  will  take  me  to  her  and  not 
to  the  Tower." 

Quinnox  smiled  and  threw  up  his  hands  as  if 
unable  to  combat  the  quick  logic  of  his  com- 
panion. Together  they  made  their  way  to  the 
prior's  cell,  afterward  to  the  Abbot's  apart- 
ment. It  was  barely  eleven  o'clock  and  he  had 
not  retired.  He  questioned  Quinnox  closely, 
bade  Lorry  farewell  and  blessed  him,  sent  his 


366  GRA  USTARK 

benediction  to  the  Princess  and  ordered  them 
conducted  to  the  gates. 

Ten  minutes  later  they  stood  outside  the 
wall,  the  great  gates  having  been  closed 
sharply  behind  them.  Above  them  hung  the 
silvery  moon,  full  and  bright,  throwing  its 
refulgent  splendor  over  the  mountain  top  with 
all  the  brilliancy  of  day.  Never  had  Lorry 
seen  the  moon  so  accursedly  bright. 

'*  'Gad,  it  is  like  day,"  he  exclaimed. 

"As  I  told  you,  sir,"  agreed  the  other,  re- 
proof in  his  voice. 

"We  must  wait  until  the  moon  goes  down. 
It  won't  do  to  risk  it  now.  Can  we  not  go 
somewhere  to  keep  warm  for  an  hour  or  so?" 

"There  is  a  cave  farther  down  the  moun- 
tain. Shall  we  take  the  chance  of  reaching 
it?" 

"By  all  means.  I  can't  endure  the  cold  after 
being  cooped  up  for  so  long. " 

They  followed  the  winding  road  for  some 
distance  down  the  mountain,  coming  at  last  to 
a  point  where  a  small  path  branched  off.  It 
was  the  path  leading  down  the  side  of  the  steep 
overlooking  the  city,  and  upon  that  side  no 
wagon-road  could  be  built.  Seven  thousand 
feet  below  stretched  the  sleeping,  moon-lit 
city.  Standing  out  on  the  brow  of  the  moun- 


FROM  A  •  WINDO  W  ABO  VE       367 

tain  they  seemed  to  be  the  only  living  objects 
in  the  world.  There  was  no  sign  of  life  above, 
below  or  beside  them. 

"How  long  should  we  be  in  making  the 
descent?"  asked  Lorry,  a  sort  of  terror  possess- 
ing him  as  he  looked  from  the  dizzy  height 
into  the  ghost-like  dimness  below. 

"Three  hours,  if  you  are  strong." 

"And  how  are  we  to  get  into  the  castle?  I 
hadn't  thought  of  that." 

"There  is  a  secret  entrance,"  said  Quinnox, 
maliciously  enjoying  the  insistent  one's  ac- 
knowledgment of  weakness.  ' '  If  we  reach  it 
safely  I  can  take  you  underground  to  the  old 
dungeons  beneath  the  castle.  It  may  be  some 
time  before  you  can  enter  the  halls  above,  for 
the  secret  of  that  passage  is  guarded  jealously. 
There  are  but  five  people  who  know  of  its 
existence." 

"Great  confidence  is  placed  in  you,  I  see,  and 
worthily,  I  am  sure.  How  is  it  that  you  are 
trusted  so  implicitly?" 

"I  inherit  the  confidence.  The  captain  of 
the  guard  is  born  to  his  position.  My  an- 
cestors held  the  place  before  me,  and  not  one 
betrayed  the  trust.  The  first-born  in  the  last 
ten  generations  has  been  the  captain  of  the 
guard  in  the  royal  palace,  possessing  all  its 


368  GRA  USTARK 

secrets.-  I  shall  be  the  first  to  betray  the  trust 
— and  for  a  man  who  is  nothing  to  me. ' ' 

"I  suppose  you  consider  me  selfish  and  vile 
for  placing  you  in  this  position, ' '  said  Lorry, 
somewhat  contritely. 

"No;  I  have  begun  the  task  and  I  will  com- 
plete it,  come  what  may, ' '  answered  the  cap- 
tain, firmly.  "You  are  the  only  being  in  the 
world  for  whom  I  would  sacrifice  my  honor 
voluntarily, — save  one." 

"I  have  wondered  why  you  were  never 
tempted  to  turn  traitor  to  the  Princess  and 
claim  the  fortune  that  is  represented  in  the 
reward. ' ' 

"Not  for  five  million  gavvos,  sir!" 

"By  George,  you  are  a  faithful  lot!  Dan- 
gloss,  Allode  and  Ogbot  and  yourself,  four 
honest  men  to  whom  she  trusts  her  life,  her 
honor.  You  belong  to  a  rare  species,  and  I 
am  proud  to  know  you." 

The  stealthy  couple  found  the  cave  and  spent 
an  hour  or  more  within  its  walls,  sallying  forth 
after  the  tardy  darkness  had  crept  down  over 
the  mountain  and  into  the  peaceful  valley. 
Then  began  the  tortuous  descent.  Quinnox  in 
the  lead,  they  walked,  crawled  and  ran  down 
the  narrow  path,  bruised,  scratched  and  aching 
by  the  time  they  reached  the  topmost  of  the 


FROM  A    WIN  DO  W  ABO  VE       369 

summer  houses  along  the  face  of  the  mountain. 
After  this  walking  was  easier,  but  stealthiness 
made  their  progress  slow.  Frequently,  as 
they  neared  the  base,  they  were  obliged  to 
dodge  behind  houses  or  to  drop  into  the 
ditches  by  the  roadside  in  order  to  avoid 
patroling  police  guards  or  Axphain  sleuth- 
hounds.  Lorry  marveled  at  the  vigil  the 
soldiers  were  keeping,  and  was  somewhat  sur- 
prised to  learn  from  the  young  captain  that 
prevailing  opinion  located  him  in  or  near  the 
city.  For  this  reason,  while  other  men  were 
scouring  Vienna,  Paris  and  even  London, 
hordes  of  vengeful  men  searched  day  and  night 
for  a  clew  in  the  city  of  Edelweiss. 

The  fugitive  began  to  realize  how  deter- 
mined was  the  effort  to  capture  him  and  how 
small  the  chance  of  acquittal  if  he  were  taken. 
To  his  fevered  imagination  the  enmity  of  the 
whole  world  was  shaping  itself  against  him. 
The  air  was  charged  with  hatred,  the  ground 
with  vengeance,  the  trees  and  rocks  with  de- 
nouncing shadows,  while  from  the  darkness 
behind  merciless  hands  seemed  to  be  stretch- 
ing forth  to  clutch  him.  One  simple,  loyal 
love  stood  alone  antagonistic  to  the  universal 
desire  to  crush  and  kill.  A  fragile  woman 
was  shielding  him  sturdily,  unwaveringly 


370  GRA  USTARK 

against  all  these  mighty  forces.  His  heart 
thrilled  with  devotion;  his  arm  tingled  with 
the  joy  of  clasping  her  once  more  to  his  breast; 
his  wistful  eyes  hung  upon  the  flickering  light 
far  off  in  the  west.  Quinnox  had  pointed  it 
out  to  him,  saying  that  it  burned  in  the  bed- 
chamber of  the  Princess  Yetive.  Since  the 
memorable  night  that  took  him  to  the  cell  in 
St.  Valentine's,  this  light  had  burned  from 
dusk  to  daylight.  Lovingly,  faithfully  it  had 
shone  for  him  through  all  those  dreary  nights, 
a  lonely  signal  from  one  heart  to  another. 

At  last,  stiff  and  sore,  they  stole  into  the 
narrow  streets  of  Edelweiss.  Lorry  glanced 
back  and  shivered,  although  the  air  was  warm 
and  balmy.  He  had  truly  been  out  of  the 
world.  Not  until  this  instant  did  he  fully  ap- 
preciate the  dread  that  possesses  a  man  who  is 
being  hunted  down  by  tireless  foes;  never  did 
man's  heart  go  out  in  gratitude  and  trustful- 
ness as  did  his  toward  the  strong  defender 
whose  sinewy  arm  he  clasped  as  if  in  terror. 

"You  understand  what  this  means  tome," 
said  Quinnox  gravely,  as  they  paused  to  rest. 
"She  will  call  me  your  murderer  and  curse  me 
for  my  miserable  treason.  I  am  the  first  to 
dishonor  the  name  of  Quinnox." 


XXII 

GRENFALL  LORRY'S  FOE 

The  Princess  Yetive  had  not  flinched  a  hair's 
breadth  from  the  resolution  formed  on  that 
stormy  night  when  she  sacrificed  pride  and 
duty  on  the  altar  of  love  and  justice.  Prince 
Bolaroz's  ultimatum  overwhelmed  her,  but 
she  arose  from  the  wreckage  that  was  strewn 
about  her  conscience  and  remained  loyal, 
steadfast  and  true  to  the  man  in  the  monastery. 
To  save  his  life  was  all  she  could  hope  to  ac- 
complish, and  that  she  was  bound  to  do  at  any 
cost.  She  could  be  nothing  to  him — not  even 
friend.  So  long  as  he  lived  he  would  be  con- 
sidered the  murderer  of  Lorenz,  and  until  the 
end  a  price  would  hang  over  his  head.  She, 
Princess  of  Graustark,  had  offered  a  reward  for 
him.  For  that  reason  he  was  always  to  be  a 
fugitive,  and  she  least  of  all  could  hope  to 
see  him.  There  had  been  a  brief,  happy 
dream,  but  it  was  swept  away  by  the  unrelenting 
rush  of  reality.  The  mere  fact  that  she,  and 
she  alone,  was  responsible  for  his  flight  placed 
between  them  an  unsurmountable  barrier. 


372  GRA  USTARK 

Clinging  tenaciously  to  her  purpose,  she  was 
still  cognizant  of  the  debt  she  owed  the  trust- 
ing, loving  people  of  Graustark.  One  word 
from  her  could  avert  the  calamity  that  was  to 
fall  with  the  dawn  of  the  fatal  twentieth.  All 
Graustark  blindly  trusted  and  adored  her ;  to 
undeceive  them  would  be  to  administer  a 
shock  from  which  they  could  never  recover. 

Her  heart  was  bursting  with  love  for  Lorry ; 
her  mind  was  overflowing  with  tender  thoughts 
that  could  not  be  sent  to  him,  much  as  she 
trusted  to  the  honor  of  Quinnox,  her  messen- 
ger. Hour  after  hour  she  sat  in  her  window 
and  marveled  at  the  change  that  had  been 
wrought  in  her  life  by  this  strong  American, 
her  eyes  fixed  on  the  faraway  monastery,  her 
heart  still  and  cold  and  fearful.  She  had  no 
confidant  in  this  miserable  affair  of  the  heart. 
Others,  near  and  dear,  had  surmised,  but  no 
word  of  hers  confirmed.  A  diffidence,  strange 
and  proud,  forbade  the  confession  of  her 
frailty,  sweet,  pure  and  womanly  though  it 
was.  She  could  not  forget  that  she  was  a 
Princess. 

The  Countess  Dagmar  was  piqued  by  her 
reticence  and  sought  in  manifold  ways  to  draw 
forth  the  voluntary  avowal,  with  its  divine 
tears  and  blushes.  Harry  Anguish,  who  spent 


GRRNFALL  LORRY'S  FOE  373 

much  of  his  time  at  the  castle  and  who  invari- 
ably deserted  his  guards  at  the  portals,  was  as 
eager  as  the  Countess  to  have  her  commit  her- 
self irretrievably  by  word  or  sign,  but  he,  too, 
was  disappointed.  He  was,  also,  considerably 
puzzled.  Her  Highness's  manner  was  at  all 
times  frank  and  untroubled.  She  was  appar- 
ently light-hearted ;  her  cheeks  had  lost  none 
of  their  freshness ;  her  eyes  were  bright ;  her 
smile  was  quick  and  merry;  her  wit  unclouded. 
Receptions,  drawing-rooms  and  state  functions 
found  her  always  vivacious,  so  much  so  that 
her  Court  wondered  not  a  little.  Daily  reports 
brought  no  news  of  the  fugitive,  but  while 
others  were  beginning  to  acquire  the  haggard 
air  of  worry  and  uncertainty,  she  was  calmly 
resigned.  The  fifteenth,  the  sixteenth,  the 
seventeenth,  the  eighteenth  and  now  the  nine- 
teenth of  November  came  and  still  the  Princess 
revealed  no  marked  sign  of  distress.  Could 
they  have  seen  her  in  the  privacy  of  her  cham- 
ber on  those  dreary,  maddening  nights  they 
would  not  have  known  their  sovereign. 

Heavy-hearted  and  with  bowed  heads  the 
people  of  Graustark  saw  the  nineteenth  fade 
in  the  night,  the  breaking  of  which  would  bring 
the  crush  of  pride,  the  end  of  power.  At  court 
there  was  the  silent  dread  and  the  dying  hope 


374  GRAUSTARK 

that  relief  might  come  at  the  last  hour.  Men, 
with  pale  faces  and  tearful  eyes,  wandered 
through  the  ancient  castle,  speechless,  nerve- 
less, miserable.  Brave  soldiers  crept  about, 
shorn  of  pride  and  filled  with  woe.  Citizens 
sat  and  stared  aimlessly  for  hours,  thinking  of 
naught  but  the  disaster  so  near  at  hand  and  so 
unavoidable.  The  whole  nation  surged  as  if  in 
the  last  throes  of  death.  To-morrow  the 
potency  of  Graustark  was  to  die,  its  domain 
was  to  be  cleft  in  twain, — disgraced  before  the 
world. 

And,  on  the  throne  of  this  afflicted  land  sat 
the  girl,  proud,  tender,  courageous  Yetive. 
To  all  Graustark  she  was  its  greatest,  its  most 
devoted  sufferer ;  upon  her  the  blow  fell  heav- 
iest. There  she  sat,  merciful  and  merciless, 
her  slim  white  hand  ready  to  sign  the  shame- 
ful deed  in  transfer,  ready  to  sell  her  kingdom 
for  her  love.  Beneath  her  throne,  beneath  her 
feet,  cowered  six  souls,  possessors  of  the 
secret.  Of  all  the  people  in  the  world  they 
alone  knew  the  heart  of  the  Princess  Yetive, 
they  alone  felt  with  her  the  weight  of  the  sacri- 
fice. With  wistful  eyes,  fainting  hearts  and 
voiceless  lips  five  of  them  watched  the  day 
approach,  knowing  that  she  would  not  speak 
and  that  Graustark  was  doomed.  Loyal  con- 


GRENFA  LL  LORR  VS  FOE  375 

spirators  against  that  which  they  loved  better 
than  their  lives — their  country — were  Dan- 
gloss,  Quinnox,  Allode,  Ogbot  and  Dagmar. 
To-morrow  would  see  the  north  torn  from  the 
south,  the  division  of  families,  the  rending  of 
homes,  the  bursting  of  hearts.  She  sanctioned 
all  this  because  she  loved  him  and  because  he 
had  done  no  wrong. 

Aware  of  her  financial  troubles  and  pursuing 
the  advantage  that  his  rival's  death  had  opened 
to  him,  Prince  Gabriel,  of  Dawsbergen,  re- 
newed his  ardent  suit.  Scarce  had  the  body 
of  the  murdered  Prince  left  the  domain  before 
he  made  his  presence  marked.  She  was 

compelled  to  receive  his  visits,  distasteful  as 
they  were,  but  she  would  not  hear  his  proposi- 
tions. Knowing  that  he  was  in  truth  the 
mysterious  Michael  who  had  planned  her 
abduction,  she  feared  and  despised  him,  yet 
dared  make  no  public  denunciation.  As  Daws- 
bergen was  too  powerful  to  be  antagonized  at 
this  critical  time,  she  was  constantly  forced  to 
submit  to  the  most  trying  and  repulsive  of 
ordeals.  Tact  and  policy  were  required  to 
control  the  violent,  hot-blooded  young  ruler 
from  the  south.  At  times  she  despaired  and 
longed  for  the  quiet  of  the  tomb;  at  other 
times  she  was  consumed  by  the  fires  of  resent- 


376  GRAUSTARK 

ment,  rebelling  against  the  ignominy  to  which 
she  was  subjected.  Worse  than  all  to  her  were 
the  insolent  overtures  of  Gabriel.  How  she 
endured  she  could  not  tell.  The  tears  of 
humiliation  shed  after  his  departure  on  the 
occasion  of  each  visit  revealed  the  bitterness 
that  was  torturing  this  proud  martyr. 

He  had  come  at  once  to  renew  his  offer  of  a 
loan,  knowing  her  helplessness.  Day  after  day 
he  haunted  the  castle,  persistent  in  his  efforts 
to  induce  her  to  accept  his  proposition.  So 
fierce  was  his  passion,  so  implacable  his  desire, 
that  he  went  among  the  people  of  Edelweiss, 
presenting  to  them  his  proposal,  hoping  thereby 
to  add  public  feeling  to  his  claims.  He  tried 
to  organize  a  committee  of  citizens  to  go  before 
the  Princess  with  the  petition  that  his  offer  be 
accepted  and  the  country  saved.  But  Grau- 
stark  was  loyal  to  its  Princess.  Not  one  of 
her  citizens  listened  to  the  wily  Prince,  and 
more  than  one  told  him  or  his  emissaries  that 
the  loss  of  the  whole  kingdom  was  preferable 
to  the  marriage  he  desired.  The  city  sickened 
at  the  thought. 

His  last  and  master-stroke  in  the  struggle  to 
persuade  came  on  the  afternoon  of  the  nine- 
teenth, at  an  hour  when  all  Edelweiss  was  in 
gloom  and  when  the  Princess  was  taxed  to  the 


GRFNFA  LL  LORR  Y'  S  FOE  377 

point  where  the  mask  of  courage  was  so  frail 
that  she  could  scarce  hide  her  bleeding  soul 
behind  it. 

Bolaroz  of  Axphain,  to  quote  from  the  news- 
despatch,  was  in  Edelweiss,  a  guest,  with  a 
few  of  his  lords,  in  the  castle.  North  of  the 
city  were  encamped  five  thousand  men.  He 
had  come  prepared  to  cancel  the  little  obliga- 
tion of  fifteen  years  standing.  With  the  hated 
creditor  in  the  castle,  his  influence  hovering 
above  the  town,  the  populace  distracted  by  the 
thoughts  of  the  day  to  come,  Gabriel  played 
what  he  considered  his  best  card.  He  asked 
for  and  obtained  a  final  interview  with  Yetive, 
not  in  her  boudoir  or  her  reception  room,  but 
in  the  throne  room,  where  she  was  to  meet 
Bolaroz  in  the  morning. 

The  Princess,  seated  on  her  throne,  awaited 
the  approach  of  the  resourceful,  tenacious 
suitor.  He  came  and  behind  him  strode  eight 
stalwart  men,  bearing  a  long  iron-bound  chest, 
the  result  of  his  effort  with  his  bankers. 
Yetive  and  her  nobles  looked  in  surprise  on 
this  unusual  performance.  Dropping  to  his 
knee  before  the  throne,  Gabriel  said,  his  voice 
trembling  slightly  with  eagerness  and  fear: 

"Your  Highness,  to-morrow  will  see  the 
turning  point  in  the  history  of  two,  possibly 


378  GRAUSTARK 

three  nations — Graustark,  Axphain  and  Daws- 
bergen.  I  have  included  my  own  land  because 
its  ruler  is  most  vitally  interested.  He  would 
serve  and  save  Graustark,  as  you  know,  and  he 
would  satisfy  Axphain.  It  is  in  my  power  to 
give  you  aid  at  this  last,  trying  hour,  and  I  im- 
plore you  to  listen  to  my  words  of  sincerest 
friendship, — yes,  adoration.  To-morrow  you 
are  to  pay  to  Prince  Bolaroz  over  twenty-five 
million  gavvos  or  relinquish  the  entire  north 
half  of  your  domain.  I  understand  the  lament- 
able situation.  You  can  raise  no  more  than 
fifteen  millions  and  you  are  helpless.  He  will 
grant  no  extension  of  time.  You  know  what  I 
have  proffered  before.  I  come  to-day  to  re- 
peat my  friendly  offer  and  to  give  unquestioned 
bond  as  to  my  ability  to  carry  it  out.  If  you 
agree  to  accept  the  loan  I  extend,  ten  million 
gavvos  for  fifteen  years  at  the  usual  rate  of 
interest,  you  can  on  to-morrow  morning  place 
in  the  hand  of  Axphain  when  he  makes  his 
formal  demand  the  full  amount  of  your  in- 
debtedness in  gold.  Ricardo,  open  the  chest!" 

An  attendant  threw  open  the  lid  of  the  chest. 
It  was  filled  with  gold  coins. 

"This  box  contains  one  hundred  thousand 
gavvos.  There  are  in  your  halls  nine  boxes 
holding  nine  times  as  much  as  you  see  here. 


G  REN  FA  LL  LORR  V  S  FOE  379 

And  there  are  nine  times  as  much  all  told  on 
the  way.  This  is  an  evidence  of  my  good  faith. 
Here  is  the  gold.  Pay  Bolaroz  and  owe  Ga- 
briel, the  greatest  happiness  that  could  come 
to  him." 

There  was  a  dead  silence  after  this  theatrical 
action. 

"The  interest  on  this  loan  is  not  all  you  ask, 
I  understand,"  said  Halfont,  slowly,  his  black 
eyes  glittering.  "You  ask  something  that 
Graustark  cannot  and  will  not  barter — the 
hand  of  its  Sovereign.  If  you  are  willing  to 
make  this  loan,  naming  a  fair  rate  of  interest, 
withdrawing  your  proposal  of  marriage,  we  can 
come  to  an  agreement." 

Gabriel's  eyes  deadened  with  disappoint- 
ment, his  breast  heaved  and  his  fingers 
twitched. 

"I  have  the  happiness  of  your  Sovereign  at 
heart  as  much  as  my  own,"  he  said.  "She 
shall  never  want  for  devotion,  she  shall  never 
know  a  pain. ' ' 

"You  are  determined,  then,  to  adhere  to 
your  original  proposition?"  demanded  the 
Count. 

"She  would  have  married  Lorenz  to  save 
her  land,  to  protect  her  people.  Am  I  not  as 
good  as  Lorenz?  Why  not  give "  began 


380  GRA  USTARK 

Gabriel,  viciously,  but  Yetive  arose,  and, 
with  gleaming  eyes  and  flushing  cheeks,  inter- 
rupted him. 

"Go!     I  will  not  hear  you — not  one  word!" 
He  passed  from  the  room  without  another 
word.      Her  Court  saw  her  standing  straight 
and  immovable,  her  white  face  transfigured. 


XXIII 

THE  VISITOR  A  T  MIDNIGHT 

Below  the  castle  and  its  distressed  occupants, 
in  a  dark,  damp  little  room,  Grenfall  Lorry 
lived  a  year  in  a  day.  On  the  night  of  the 
eighteenth,  or  rather  near  the  break  of  dawn 
on  the  nineteenth,  Captain  Quinnox  guided 
him  from  the  dangerous  streets  of  Edelweiss  to 
the  secret  passage,  and  he  was  safe  for  the 
time  being.  The  entrance  to  the  passage  was 
through  a  skillfully  hidden  opening  in  the  wall 
that  enclosed  the  park.  A  stone  doorway,  so 
cleverly  constructed  that  it  defied  detection, 
led  to  a  set  of  steps  which,  in  turn,  took  one  to 
a  long  narrow  passage.  This  ended  in  a  stair- 
way fully  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  its  begin- 
ning. Ascending  this  stairway  one  came  to  a 
secret  panel,  through  which,  by  pressing  a 
spring,  the  interior  of  the  castle  was  reached. 
The  location  of  the  panel  was  in  one  of  the 
recesses  in  the  wall  of  the  chapel,  near  the 
altar.  It  was  in  this  chapel  that  Yetive  ex- 
changed her  male  attire  for  a  loose  gown, 
weeks  before,  and  the  servant  who  saw  her 
381 


382  GRA  USTARK 

come  from  the  door  at  an  unearthly  hour  in 
the  morning  believed  she  had  gone  there  to  seek 
surcease  from  the  troubles  which  oppressed  her. 

Lorry  was  impatient  to  rush  forth  from  his 
place  of  hiding  and  to  end  all  suspense,  but 
Quinnox  demurred.  He  begged  the  eager 
American  to  remain  in  the  passage  until  the 
night  of  the  nineteenth,  when,  all  things  going 
well,  he  might  be  so  fortunate  as  to  reach  the 
Princess  without  being  seen.  It  was  the  secret 
hope  of  the  guilty  captain  that  his  charge  could 
be  induced  by  the  Princess  to  return  to  the 
monastery,  to  avoid  complications.  He  prom- 
ised to  inform  Her  Highness  of  his  presence  in 
the  underground  room  and  to  arrange  for  a 
meeting.  The  miserable  fellow  could  not  find 
courage  to  confess  his  disobedience  to  his 
trusting  mistress.  Many  times  during  the  day 
she  had  seen  him  hovering  near,  approaching 
and  then  retreating,  and  had  wondered  not  a 
little  at  his  peculiar  manner. 

And  so  it  was  that  Lorry  chafed  and  writhed 
through  a  long  day  of  suspense  and  agony. 
Quinnox  had  brought  to  the  little  room  some 
candles,  food  and  bedding,  but  he  utilized  only 
the  former.  The  hours  went  by  and  no  sum- 
mons called  him  to  her  side.  He  was  dying 
with  the  desire  to  hold  her  in  his  arms  and  to 


THE  VISITOR  A  T  MIDNIGHT         383 

hear  her  voice  again.  Pacing  to  and  fro  like  a 
caged  animal,  he  recalled  the  ride  in  West 
Virginia,  the  scene  in  her  bed  chamber,  the 
day  in  the  throne  room  and,  more  delicious 
than  all,  the  trip  to  the  monastery.  In  his 
dreams,  waking  or  sleeping,  he  had  seen  the 
slim  soldier,  had  heard  the  muffled  voice,  and 
had  felt  the  womanly  caresses.  His  brain  now 
was  in  a  whirl,  busy  with  thoughts  of  love  and 
fear,  distraught  with  anxiety  for  her  and  for 
himself,  bursting  with  the  awful  consequences 
of  the  hour  that  was  upon  them.  What  was  to 
become  of  him?  What  was  to  be  the  end  of 
this  drama?  What  would  the  night,  the  mor- 
row bring  about? 

He  looked  back  and  saw  himself  as  he  was  a 
year  ago  in  Washington,  before  she  came  into 
his  life,  and  then  wondered  if  it  could  really 
be  he  who  was  going  through  these  strange, 
improbable  scenes,  these  sensations.  It  was 
nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  when  Quinnox 
returned  to  the  little  room.  The  waiting  one 
had  looked  at  his  watch  a  hundred  times,  had 
run  insanely  up  and  down  the  passage  in  quest 
of  the  secret  exit,  had  shouted  aloud  in  the 
frenzy  of  desperation. 

"Have  you  seen  her?"  he  cried,  grasping  the 
new-comer's  hand. 


384  GRA  USTARK 

* 

"I  have,  but,  before  God,  I  could  not  tell 
her  what  I  had  done.  Your  visit  will  be  a  sur- 
prise, I  fear  a  shock." 

"Then  how  am  I  to  see  her?  Fool!  Am  I 
to  wait  here  forever ' ' 

4 '  Have  patience !  I  will  take  you  to  her  to- 
night— aye,  within  an  hour.  To-morrow 
morning  she  signs  away  the  northern  provinces 
and  her  instructions  are  that  she  is  not  to  be 
disturbed  to-night.  Not  even  will  she  see  the 
Countess  Dagmar  after  nine  o'clock.  It 
breaks  my  heart  to  see  the  sorrow  that  abounds 
in  the  castle  to-night.  Her  Highness  insists  on 
being  alone  and  Bassot,  the  new  guard,  has 
orders  to  admit  no  one  to  her  apartments.  He 
is  ill  and  I  have  promised  that  a  substitute 
shall  relieve  him  at  eleven  o'clock.  You  are 
to  be  the  substitute.  Here  is  a  part  of  an  old 
uniform  of  mine,  and  here  is  a  coat  that  be- 
longed to  Dannox,  who  was  about  your  size. 
Please  exchange  the  clothes  you  now  have  on 
for  these.  I  apprehend  no  trouble  in..^aching 
her  door,  for  the  household  is  in  gloom  and 
the  halls  seem  barren  of  life." 

He  threw  the  bundle  on  a  chair  and  Lorry  at 
once  proceeded  to  don  the  contents.  In  a  very 
short  time  he  wore,  instead  of  the  cell  keeper's 
garments,  a  neat-fitting  uniform  of  the  royal 


THE  VISITOR  AT  MIDNIGHT        3$5 

guard.  He  was  trembling  violently,  chilled  to 
the  bone  with  nervousness,  as  they  began  the 
ascent  of  the  stairs  leading  to  the  chapel.  The 
crisis  in  his  life,  he  felt,  was  near  at  hand. 

Under  the  stealthy  hand  of  Quinnox  the 
panel  opened  and  they  listened  intently  for 
some  moments.  .There  was  no  one  in  the 
dimly-lighted  chapel,  so  they  made  their  way 
to  the  door  at  the  opposite  end.  The  great 
organ  looked  down  upon  them  and  Lorry  ex- 
pected every  instant  to  hear  it  burst  forth  in 
sounds  of  thunder.  It  seemed  alive  and  watch- 
ing their  movements  reproachfully.  Before 
unlocking  the  door,  the  captain  pointed  to  a 
lance  which  stood  against  the  wall  near  by. 

"You  are  to  carry  that  lance,"  he  said, 
briefly.  Then  he  cautiously  peered  forth.  A 
moment  later  they  were  in  the  broad  hall, 
boldly  striding  toward  the  distant  stairway. 
Lorry  had  been  instructed  to  proceed  without 
the  least  sign  of  timidity.  They  passed  several 
attendants  in  the  hall  and  heard  Count  Hal- 
font's  voice  in  conversation  with  some  one  in 
an  ante-room.  As  they  neared  the  broad  steps 
who  should  come  tripping  down  but  Harry 
Anguish.  He  saluted  Quinnox  and  walked 
rapidly  down  the  corridor,  evidently  taking  his 
departure  after  a  call  on  the  Countess. 


386  GRA  USTARK 

"There  goes  your  hostage, "  said  the  captain, 
grimly.  It  had  required  all  of  Lorry's  self- 
possession  to  restrain  the  cry  of  joyful  recog- 
nition. Up  the  staircase  they  went,  meeting 
several  ladies  and  gentlemen  coming  down,  and  • 
were  soon  before  the  apartments  of  the  Princess. 
A  tall  guard  stood  in  front  of  the  boudoir  door. 

"This  is  your  relief,  Bassot.  You  may  go," 
said  Quinnox,  and,  with  a  careless  glance  at 
the  strange  soldier,  the  sick  man  trudged  off 
down  the  hall,  glad  to  seek  his  bed. 

"Is  she  there?"  whispered  Lorry,  dizzy  and 
f  air  .  with  expectancy. 

"Yes.  This  may  mean  your  death  and  mine, 
sir,  but  you  would  do  it.  Will  you  explain  to 
her  how  I  came  to  play  her  false?" 

"She  shall  know  the  truth,  good  friend." 

"After  I  have  gone  twenty  paces  down  the 
hall,  do  you  rap  on  the  door.  She  may  not 
admit  you  at  first,  but  do  not  -^fve  up.  If  she 
bid  you  enter  or  asks  your  mission,  enter 
quickly  and  close  the  door.  It  is  unlocked. 
She  may  swoon,  or  scream,  and  you  must  pre- 
vent either  if  possible.  In  an  hour  I  shall 
return  and  you  must  go  back  to  the  passage." 

"Never!  I  have  come  to  save  her  and  her 
country,  and  I  intend  to  do  so  by  surrendering 
myself  this  very  night. ' ' 


THE  VISITOR  AT  MIDNIGHT         38? 

"I  had  hoped  to  dissuade  you.  But,  sir,  you 
cannot  do  so  to-night.  You  forget  that  this 
visit  compromises  her." 

"True.  I  had  forgotten.  Well,  I'll  go  back 
with  you,  but  to-morrow  I  am  your  prisoner, 
not  your  friend. ' ' 

"Be  careful,"  cautioned  the  captain  as  he 
moved  away.  Lorry  feverishly  tapped  his 
knuckles  on  the  panel  of  the  door  and  waited 
with  motionless  heart  for  the  response.  It 
came  not  and  he  rapped  harder,  a  strange  fear 
darting  into  his  mind. 

"Well?"  came  from  within,  the  voice  he 
adored. 

Impetuous  haste  marked  his  next  movement. 
He  dashed  open  the  door,  sprang  inside  and 
closed  it  quickly.  She  was  sitting  before  her 
escritoire,  writing,  and  looked  up,  surprised 
and  annoyed. 

"I  was  not  to  be  disturbed— Oh,  God!" 

She  staggered  to  her  feet  and  was  in  his 
arms  before  the  breath  of  her  exclamation  had 
died  away.  Had  he  not  supported  her  she 
would  have  dropped  to  the  floor.  Her  hands, 
her  face  were  like  ice,  her  breast  was  pulseless 
and  there  was  the  wildest  terror  in  her  eyes. 

"My  darling — my  queen!"  he  cried,  passion- 
ately. "At  last  I  am  with  you!  Don't  look  at 


388  GRA  USTARK 

me  like  that !  It  is  really  I — I  could  not  stay 
away — I  could  not  permit  this  sacrifice  of 
yours.  Speak  to  me !  Do  not  stare  like  that !" 

Her  wide  blue  eyes  slowly  swept  his  face, 
piteous  wonder  and  doubt  struggling  in  their 
depths. 

"Am  I  awake?"  she  murmured,  touching  his 
face  with  her  bewildered,  questioning  hands 
"Is  it  truly  you?"  A  smile  illumined  her 
face,  but  her  joy  was  short-lived.  An  expres- 
sion of  terror  came  to  her  eyes  and  there  was 
agony  in  the  fingers  that  clasped  his  arm. 
"Why  do  you  come  here?"  she  cried.  "It  is 
madness!  How  and  why  came  you  to  this 
room?" 

He  laughed  like  a  delighted  boy  and  hastily 
narrated  the  events  of  the  past  twenty-four 
hours,  ending  with  the  trick  that  gave  him 
entrance  to  her  room. 

"And  all  this  to  see  me?"  she  whispered. 

"To  see  you  and  to  save'^u.  I  hear  that 
Gabriel  has  been  annoying  you  and  that  you 
are  to  give  up  half  of  the  kingdom  to-morrow. 
Tell  me  everything.  It  is  another  reason  for 
my  coming. ' ' 

Sitting  beside  him  on  the  divan,  she  told  of 
Gabriel's  visit  and  his  dismissal,  the  outlook  for 
the  next  day,  and  then  sought  to  convince  him 


THE  VISITOR  AT  MIDNIGHT         389 

of  the  happiness  it  afforded  her  to  protect  him 
from  an  undeserved  death.  He  obtained  for 
Quinnox  the  royal  pardon  and  lauded  him  to 
the  skies.  So  ravishing  were  the  moments,  so 
ecstatic  the  sensations  that  possessed  them 
that  neither  thought  of  the  consequences  if  he 
were  to  be  discovered  in  her  room,  disguised 
as  one  of  her  guardsmen.  He  forgot  the  real 
import  of  his  reckless  visit  until  she  com- 
manded him  to  stand  erect  before  her  that  she 
might  see  what  manner  of  soldier  he  was. 
With  a  laugh,  he  leaped  to  his  feet  and  stood 
before  her  —  attention !  She  leaned  back 
among  the  cushions  and  surveyed  him  through 
the  glowing,  impassioned  eyes  which  slowly 
closed  as  if  to  shut  out  temptation. 

"You  are  a  perfect  soldier,"  she  said,  her 
lashes  parting  ever  so  slightly. 

"No  more  perfect  than  you, "  he  cried.  She 
remembered,  with  confusion,  her  own  mas- 
querading, but  -it  was  unkind  of  him  to  remem- 
ber it.  Her  allusion  to  his  uniform  turned  his 
thoughts  into  the  channel  through  which  they 
had  been  surging  so  turbulently  up  to  the 
moment  that  found  him  tapping  at  her  door. 
He  had  not  told  her  of  his  determination,  and 
the  task  grew  harder  as  he  saw  the  sparkle 
glow  brighter  and  brighter  in  her  eye. 


390  GRA  USTARK 

"You  are  a  brave  soldier,  then,"  she  substi- 
tuted. "It  required  courage  to  come  to  Edel- 
weiss with  hundreds  of  men  ready  to  seize  you 
at  sight, — a  pack  of  bloodhounds." 

"I  should  have  been  a  miserable  coward  to 
stay  up  there  while  you  are  so  bravely  facing 
disaster  alone  down  here.  I  came  to  help  you, 
as  I  should. ' ' 

"But  you  can  do  nothing,  dear,  and  you  only 
make  matters  worse  by  coming  to  me.  I  have 
fought  so  hard  to  overcome  the  desire  to  be 
near  you ;  I  have  struggled  against  myself  for 
days  and  days,  and  I  had  won  the  battle  when 
you  came  to  pull  my  walls  of  strength  down 
about  my  ears.  Look !  On  my  desk  is  a  letter 
I  was  writing  to  you.  No ;  you  shall  not  read 
it !  No  one  shall  ever  know  what  it  contains. ' ' 
She  darted  to  the  desk,  snatched  up  the  sheets 
of  paper  and  held  them  over  the  waxed  taper. 
He  stood  in  the  middle^f  the  room,  a  feeling 
of  intense  desolation  settling  down  upon  him. 
How  could  he  lose  this  woman? 

"To-morrow  night  Quinnox  is  to  take  you 
from  the  monastery  and  conduct  you  to  a  dis- 
tant city.  It  has  all  been  planned.  Your 
friend,  Mr.  Anguish,  is  to  meet  you  in  three 
days  and  you  are  to  hurry  to  America  by  way 
of  Athens.  This  was  a  letter  to  you.  In  it  I 


THE  VISITOR  AT  MIDNIGHT         391 

said  many  things  and  was  trying  to  write  fare- 
well when  you  came  to  this  room.  Do  you 
wonder  that  I  was  overcome  with  doubt  and 
amazement — yes,  and  horror?  Ach,  what 
peril  you  are  in  here!  Every  minute  may 
bring  discovery  and  that  would  mean  death  to 
you.  You  are  innocent,  but  nothing  could 
save  you.  The  proof  is  too  strong.  Mizrox 
has  found  a  man  who  swears  he  saw  you  enter 
Lorenz's  room." 

"What  a  damnable  lie!"  cried  Lorry, 
lightly.  "I  was  not  near  his  room!" 

"But  you  can  see  what  means  they  will 
adopt  to  convict  you.  You  are  doomed  if 
caught,  by  my  men  or  theirs.  I  cannot  save 
you  again.  You  know  now  that  I  love  you. 
I  would  not  give  away  half  of  the  land  that  my 
forefathers  ruled  were  it  not  true.  Bolaroz 
would  be  glad  to  grant  ten  years  of  grace  could 
he  but  have  you  in  his  clutches.  And,  to  see 
me,  you  would  run  the  risk  of  undoing  all  that 
I  have  planned,  accomplished  and  suffered  for. 
Could  you  not  have  been  content  with  that  last 
good-by  at  the  monastery?  It  is  cruel  to  both 
of  us — to  me  especially — that  we  must  have  the 
parting  again."  She  had  gone  to  the  divan  and 
now  dropped  limply  among  the  cushions,  rest- 
ing her  head  on  her  hand. 


392  GRAUSTARK 

"I  was  determined  to  see  you,"  he  said. 
"They  shall  not  kill  me  nor  are  you  to  sacri- 
fice your  father's  domain.  Worse  than  all,  I 
feared  that  you  might  yield  to  Gabriel ' ' 

"Ach!  You  insult  me  when  you  say  that! 
I  yielded  to  Lorenz  because  I  thought  it  my 
duty  and  because  I  dared  not  admit  to  myself 
that  I  loved  you.  But  Gabriel!  Ach!"  she 
cried,  scornfully.  "Grenfall  Lorry,  I  shall 
marry  no  man.  You  I  love,  but  you  I  cannot 
marry.  It  is  folly  to  dream  of  it,  even  as  a 
possibility.  When  you  go  from  Graustark  to- 
morrow night  you  take  my  heart,  my  life,  my 
soul  with  you.  I  shall  never  see  you  again — 
God  help  me  to  say  this — I  shall  never  allow 
you  to  see  me  again.  I  tell  you  I  could  not 
bear  it.  The  weakest  and  the  strongest  of 
God's  creations  is  woman."  She  started  sud- 
denly, half  rising.  "Did  any  one  see  you 
come  to  my  room?  Was  Quinnox  sure?" 

"We  passed  people,  but  no  one  knew  me.  I 
will  go  if  you  are  distressed  over  my  being 
here." 

"It  is  not  that — not  that.  Some  spy  may 
have  seen  you.  I  have  a  strange  fear  that  they 
suspect  me  and  that  I  am  being  watched. 
Where  is  Captain  Quinnox?" 

'  He  said  he  would  return  for  me  in  an  hour. 


THE  VISITOR  A  T  MIDNIGHT         393 

The  time  is  almost  gone.  How  it  has  flown ! 
Yetive,  Yetive,  I  will  not  give  you  up!"  he 
cried,  sinking  to  his  knees  before  her. 

"You  must — you  shall!  You  must  go  back 
to  the  monastery  to-night!  Oh  how  I  pray  that 
you  may  reach  it  in  safety!  And,  you  must 
leave  this  wretched  country  at  once.  Will  you 
see  if  Quinnox  is  outside  the  door?  Be  quick ! 
I  am  mad  with  the  fear  that  you  may  be  found 
here — that  you  may  be  taken  before  you  can 
return  to  St.  Valentine's." 

He  arose  and  stood  looking  down  at  the  in- 
tense face,  all  aquiver  with  the  battle  between 
temptation  and  solicitude. 

"I  am  not  going  back  to  St.  Valentine's,"  he 
said,  slowly. 

"But  it  is  all  arranged  for  you  to  start  from 
there  to-morrow.  You  cannot  escape  the  city 
guard  except  through  St.  Valentine's." 

"Yetive,  has  it  not  occurred  to  you  that  I 
may  not  wish  to  escape  the  city  guard?" 

"May  not  wish  to  escape  the — what  do  you 
mean?"  she  cried,  bewildered. 

*'I  am  not  going  to  leave  Edelweiss,  dearest. 
It  is  my  intention  to  surrender  myself  to  the 
authorities." 

She  gazed  at  him  in  horror  for  a  moment 
and  then  fell  back  with  a  low  moan. 


394  GRA  USTARK 

"For  God's  sake,  do  not  say  that!"  she 
wailed.  "I  forbid  you  to  think  of  it.  You 
cannot  do  this  after  all  I  have  done  to  save 
you.  Ach,  you  are  jesting;  I  should  have 
known." 

He  sat  down  and  drew  her  to  his  side.  Some 
moments  passed  before  he  could  speak. 

"I  cannot  and  will  not  permit  you  to  make 
such  a  sacrifice  for  me.  The  proposition  of 
Bolaroz  is  known  to  me.  If  you  produce  me  for 
trial  you  are  to  have  a  ten  years'  extension. 
My  duty  is  plain.  I  am  no  cowardly  criminal, 
and  I  am  not  afraid  to  face  my  accusers.  At 
the  worst,  I  can  die  but  once." 

"Die  but  once,"  she  repeated,  as  if  in  a 
dream. 

"I  came  here  to  tell  you  of  my  decision,  to 
ask  you  to  save  your  lands,  protect  your  people, 
and  to  remember  that  I  would  die  a  thousand 
times  to  serve  you  and  yours. ' ' 

"After  all  I  have  done — after  all  I  have 
done,"  she  murmured,  piteously.  "No,  no! 
You  shall  not !  You  are  more  to  me  than  all 
my  kingdom,  than  all  the  people  in  the  world. 
You  have  made  me  love  you,  you  have  caused 
me  to  detest  the  throne  which  separates  us,  you 
have  made  me  pray  that  I  might  be  a  pauper, 
but  you  shall  not  force  me  to  destroy  the  mite 


THE  VISITOR  A  T  MIDNIGHT         395 

of  hope  that  lingers  in  my  heart.  You  shall 
not  crush  the  hope  that  there  may  be  a — a — 
some  day!" 

"A  some  day?  Some  day  when  you  will  be 
mine?"  he  cried. 

"I  will  not  say  that,  but,  for  my  sake, — for 
my  sake, — go  away  from  this  place.  Save 
yourself!  You  are  all  I  have  to  live  for." 
Her  arms  were  about  his  neck  and  her  implor- 
ing words  went  to  his  heart  like  great  thrusts 
of  pain. 

"You  forget  the  thousands  who  love  and 
trust  you.  Do  they  deserve  to  be  wronged?" 

"No,  no, — ach,  God,  how  I  have  suffered 
because  of  them!  I  have  betrayed  them, 
have  stolen  their  rights  and  made  them  a 
nation  of  beggars.  But  I  would  not,  for  all 
this  nation,  have  an  innocent  man  condemned 
— nor  could  my  people  ask  that  of  me.  You 
cannot  dissuade  me.  It  must  be  as  I  wish. 
Oh,  why  does  not  Quinnox  come  for  you!" 
She  arose  and  paced  the  floor  distractedly. 

He  was  revolving  a  selfish,  cowardly  capitu- 
lation to  love  and  injustice,  when  a  sharp  tap 
was  heard  at  the  door.  Leaping  to  his  feet  he 
whispered : 

"Quinnox!  He  has  come  for  me.  Now  to 
get  out  of  your  room  without  being  seen!" 


39&  GRA  USTARK 

The  Princess  Yetive  ran  to  him,  and,  placing 
her  hands  on  his  shoulders,  cried  with  the 
fierceness  of  despair : 

"You  will  go  back  to  the  monastery?  You 
will  leave  Graustark?  For  my  sake — for  my 
sake!" 

He  hesitated  and  then  surrendered,  his  honor 
falling  weak  and  faint  by  the  pathway  of  pas- 
sion. 

"Yes!"  he  cried,  hoarsely. 

Tap !  tap !  tap !  at  the  door.  Lorry  took  one 
look  at  the  rapturous  face  and  released  her. 

"Come!"  she  called. 

The  door  flew  open,  an  attendant  saluted, 
and  in  stepped — Gabriel! 


XXIV 

OFF  TO  THE  DUNGEON 

The  tableau  lasted  but  a  moment.  Gabriel 
advanced  a  few  steps,  his  eyes  gleaming  with 
jealousy  and  triumph.  Before  him  stood  the 
petrified  lovers,  caught  red-handed.  Through 
her  dazed  brain  struggled  the  conviction  that 
he  could  never  escape;  through  his  ran  the 
miserable  realization  that  he  had  ruined  her 
forever.  Gabriel,  of  all  men ! 

"I  arrive  inopportunely,"  he  said,  harshly, 
the  veins  standing  out  on  his  neck  and  tern- . 
pies.  "Do  I  intrude?  I  was  not  aware  that 
you  expected  two,  your  highness!"  There 
was  no  mistaking  his  meaning.  He  viciously 
sought  to  convey  the  impression  that  he  was 
there  by  appointment,  a  clandestine  visitor  in 
her  apartments  at  midnight. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  coming  to  my  apart- 
ment at  this  hour?"  she  stammered,  trying  to 
rescue  dignity  from  the  chaos  of  emotions. 
Lorry  was  standing  slightly  to  the  right  and 
several  feet  behind  her.  He  understood  the 
Prince,  and  quickly  sought  to  interpose  with 
397 


398  GRA  USTARK 

the  hope  that  he  might  shield  her  from  the 
sting. 

' '  She  did  not  expect  me,  sir, ' '  he  said,  and  a 
menacing  gleam  came  to  his  eyes.  His  pistol 
was  in  his  hand.  Gabriel  saw  it,  but  the  star- 
ing Princess  did  not.  She  could  not  take  her 
eyes  from  the  face  of  the  intruder.  "Now, 
may  I  ask  why  you  are  here?" 

Gabriel's  wit  saved  him  from  death.  He 
saw  that  he  could  not  pursue  the  course  he  had 
begun,  for  there  was  murder  in  the  Ameri- 
can's eye.  Like  a  fox  he  swerved  and,  with  a 
servile  promise  of  submission  in  his  glance, 
said: 

"I  thought  you  were  here,  my  fine  fellow, 
and  I  came  to  satisfy  myself.  Now,  sir,  may 
I  ask  why  you  are  here?"  His  fingers  twitched 
and  his  eyes  were  glassy  with  the  malevolence 
he  was  subduing. 

"I  am  here  as  a  prisoner,"  said  Lorry, 
boldly.  Gabriel  laughed  derisively. 

"And  how  often  have  you  come  here  in  this 
manner  as  a  prisoner?  Midnight  and  alone  in 
the  apartments  of  the  Princess!  The  guard 
dismissed!  A  prisoner,  eh?  Ha,  what  a 
prison!" 

"Stop!"  cried  Lorry,  white  to  the  lips. 

The  Princess  was  beginning  to  understand. 


OFF  TO  THE  DUNGEON  399 

Her  eyes  grew  wide  with  horror,  her  figure 
straightened  imperiously  and  the  white  in  her 
cheeks  gave  way  to  the  red  of  insulted  virtue. 

"I  see  it  all !  You  have  not  been  outside  this 
castle  since  you  left  the  prison.  A  pretty 
scheme !  You  could  not  marry  him,  could  you, 
eh?  He  is  not  a  prince!  But  you  could  bring 
him  here  and  hide  him  where  no  one  would 
dare  to  think  of  looking  for  him — in  your 
apartments ' ' 

With  a  snarl  of  rage  Lorry  sprang  upon  him, 
cutting  short  the  sentence  that  would  have 
gone  through  her  like  the  keenest  knife-blade. 

"Liar!  Dog!  I'll  kill  you  for  that!"  he 
cried,  but,  before  he  could  clutch  the  Prince's 
throat,  Yetive  had  frantically  seized  his  arm. 

"Not  that!"  she  shrieked.  "Do  not  kill 
him!  There  must  be  no  murder  here!" 

He  reluctantly  hurled  Gabriel  from  him,  the 
Prince  tottering  to  his  knees  in  the  effort  to 
keep  from  falling.  She  had  saved  her  maligner's 
life,  but  courage  deserted  her  with  the  act. 
Helplessly  she  looked  into  the  blazing  eyes  of 
her  lover  and  faltered : 

"I — I  do  not  know  what  to  say  or  do.  My 
brain  is  bursting!" 

"Courage,  courage!"  he  whispered,  gently. 

"You  shall  pay  for  this,"  shrieked  Gabriel. 


400  GRA  USTARK 

"If  yon  are  not  a  prisoner  you  shall  be. 
There'll  be  scandal  enough  in  Graustark  to- 
morrow to  start  a  volcano  of  wrath  from  the 
royal  tombs  where  lie  her  fathers.  I'll  see 
that  you  are  a  prisoner!"  He  started  for  the 
door,  but  Lorry's  pistol  was  .leveled  at  his  head. 

"If  you  move  I'll  kill  you!" 

"The  world  will  understand  how  and  why  I 
fell  by  your  hand  and  in  this  room.  Shoot ! ' ' 
he  cried,  triumphantly.  Lorry's  hand  trembled 
and  his  eyes  filled  with  the  tears  of  impotent 
rage.  The  Prince  held  the  higher  card. 

A  face  suddenly  appeared  at  the  door,  which 
had  been  stealthily  opened  from  without.  Cap- 
tain Quinnox  glided  into  the  room  behind  the 
Prince  and  gently  closed  the  door,  unnoticed 
by  the  gloater. 

"A  prisoner?"  sneered  Gabriel.  "Where  is 
your  captor,  pray?" 

' 4  Here ! ' '  answered  a  voice  at  his  back.  The 
Prince  wheeled  and  found  himself  looking  at 
the  stalwart  form  of  the  captain  of  the  guard. 
"I  am  surely  privileged  to  speak  now,  your 
Highness, "  he  went  on,  addressing  the  Prin- 
cess significantly. 

"How  came  you  here?"  gasped  Gabriel. 

"I  brought  my  prisoner  here.  Where  should 
I  be  if  not  here  to  guard  him?" 


OFF  TO  THE  DUNGEON  4°* 

"When — when  did  you  enter  this  room?" 

"An  hour  ago." 

"You  were  not  here  when  I  came!' 

"I  have  been  standing  on  this  spot  for  an 
hour.  You  have  been  very  much  excited,  I'll 
agree,  but  it  is  strange  you  did  not  see  me," 
lied  Quinnox. 

Gabriel  looked  about  helplessly,  nonplussed. 

"You  were  here  when  I  came  in?"  he  asked, 
wonderingly. 

"Ask  Her  Royal  Highness,"  commanded 
the  captain,  smiling. 

"Captain  Quinnox  brought  the  prisoner  to 
me  an  hour  ago,"  she  said,  mechanically. 

"It  is  a  lie!"  cried  Gabriel.  "He  was  not 
here  when  I  entered!" 

The  captain  of  the  guard  laid  a  heavy  hand 
on  the  shoulder  of  the  Prince  and  said,  threaten- 
ingly: 

"I  was  here  and  I  am  here.  Have  a  care 
how  you  speak.  Were  I  to  do  right  I  should 
shoot  you  like  a  dog.  You  came  like  a  thief, 
you  insult  the  ruler  of  my  land.  I  have  borne 
it  all  because  you  are  a  Prince,  but  have  a  care 
— have  a  care.  I  may  forget  myself  and  tear 
out  your  black  heart  with  these  hands.  One 
word  from  Her  Royal  Highness  will  be  your 
death  warrant. 


402  GRA  USTARK 

He  looked  inquiringly  at  the  Princess  as  if 
anxious  to  put  the  dangerous  witness  where 
he  could  tell  no  tales.  She  shook  her  head, 
but  did  not  speak.  Lorry  realized  that  the 
time  had  come  for  him  to  assert  himself. 
Assuming  a  distressed  air  he  bowed  his  head 
and  said,  dejectedly: 

"My  pleading  has  been  in  vain,  then,  your 
Highness.  I  have  sworn  to  you  that  I  am 
innocent  of  this  murder,  and  you  have  said  I 
shall  have  a  fair  trial.  That  is  all  you  can  offer?" 

"That  is  all,"  she  said,  shrilly,  her  mind 
gradually  grasping  his  meaning. 

"You  will  not  punish  the  poor  people  who 
secreted  me  in  their  house  for  weeks,  for  they 
are  convinced  of  my  innocence.  Your  captain 
here,  who  found  me  in  their  house  to-night, 
can  also  speak  well  of  them.  I  have  only  this 
request  to  make,  in  return  for  what  little  serv- 
ice I  may  have  given  you:  Forgive  the  old 
people  who  befriended  me.  I  am  ready  to  go 
to  the  Tower  at  once,  captain." 

Gabriel  heard  this  speech  with  a  skeptical 
smile  on  his  face. 

' '  I  am  no  fool, ' '  he  said,  simply.  ' '  Captain, ' ' 
shrewdly  turning  to  Quinnox,  "if  he  is  your 
prisoner,  why  do  you  permit  him  to  retain  his 
revolver?" 


OFF  TO  THE  DUNGEON  4°3 

The  conspirators  were  taken  by  surprise,  but 
Lorry  had  found  his  wits. 

"It  is  folly,  your  Highness,  to  allow  this  gen- 
tleman and  conquering  Prince  to  cross-examine 
you.  I  am  a  prisoner,  and  that  is  the  end  of 
it.  What  odds  is  it  to  the  Prince  of  Daws- 
bergen  how  and  where  I  was  caught  or  why 
your  officer  brought  me  to  you?" 

"You  were  ordered  from  my  house  once  to- 
day, yet  you  come  again  like  a  conqueror.  I 
should  not  spare  you.  You  deserve  to  lose 
your  life  for  the  actions  of  to-night.  Captain 
Quinnox,  will  you  kill  him  if  I  ask  you  to  end 
his  wretched  life?"  Yetive's  eyes  were  blaz- 
ing with  wrath,  beneath  which  gleamed  a  hope 
that  he  could  be  frightened  into  silence. 

' '  Willingly  —  willingly ! ' '  cried  Quinnox. 
"Now,  your  Highness?  'Twere  better  in  the 
hall!" 

"For  God's  sake,  do  not  murder  me!  Let 
me  go!"  cringed  the  Prince. 

"I  do  not  mean  that  you  should  kill  him  now, 
Quinnox,  but  I  instruct  you  to  do  so  if  he  puts 
foot  inside  these  walls  again.  Do  you  under- 
stand?" 

"Yes,  your  Highness." 

"Then  you  will  place  this  prisoner  in  the 
castle  dungeon  until  to-morrow  morning,  when 


404  GRA  USTARK 

he  is  to  be  taken  to  the  Tower.  Prince  Gabriel 
may  accompany  you  to  the  dungeon  cell,  if  he 
likes,  after  which  you  will  escort  him  to  the 
gates.  If  he  enters  them  again  you  are  to  kill 
him.  Take  them  both  away!" 

"Your  Highness,  I  must  ask  you  to  write  a 
pardon  for  the  good  people  in  whose  house  the 
prisoner  was  found,"  suggested  Quinnox, 
shrewdly  seeing  a  chance  for  communication 
unsuspected  by  the  Prince. 

"A  moment,  your  Highness,"  said  the  Prince, 
who  had  recovered  himself  cleverly.  "I  ap- 
preciate your  position.  I  have  made  a  serious 
charge,  and  I  now  have  a  fair  proposition  to 
suggest  to  you.  If  this  man  is  not  produced 
to-morrow  morning  I  take  it  for  granted  that 
I  am  at  liberty  to  tell  all  that  has  happened  in 
this  room  to-night.  If  he  is  produced,  I  shall 
kneel  and  beg  your  pardon." 

The  Princess  turned  paler  than  ever  and 
knew  not  how  she  kept  from  falling  to  the 
floor.  There  was  a  long  silence  following 
Gabriel's  unexpected  but  fair  suggestion. 

"That  is  very  fair,  your  Highness,"  said 
Lorry.  "There  is  no  reason  why  I  should  not 
be  a  prisoner  to-morrow.  I  don't  see  how  I 
can  hope  to  escape  the  inevitable.  Your 
dungeon  is  strong  and  I  have  given  my  word 


OFF  TO  THE  DUNGEON  4°5 

of  honor  to  the  captain  -that  I  shall  make  no 
further  effort  to  evade  the  law. ' ' 

"I  agree,"  murmured  the  Princess,  ready  to 
faint  under  the  strain. 

"I  must  see  him  delivered  to  Prince  Bol- 
aroz,"  added  Gabriel  mercilessly. 

"To  Bolaroz,"  she  repeated 

"Your  Highness,  the  pardon  for  the  poor  old 
people,"  reminded  Quinnox.  She  glided  to 
the  desk,  stunned,  bewildered.  It  seemed  as 
though  death  were  upon  her.  Quinnox  fol- 
lowed and  bent  near  her  ear.  "Do  not  be 
alarmed,"  he  whispered.  "No  one  knows  of 
Mr.  Lorry's  presence  here  save  the  Prince,  and 
if  he  dares  to  accuse  you  before  Bolaroz  our 
people  will  tear  him  to  pieces.  No  one  will 
believe  him." 

"You — you  can  save  him,  then?"  she  gasped, 
joyously. 

"If  he  will  permit  me  to  do  so.  Write  to  him 
what  you  will,  your  Highness,  and  he  shall 
have  the  message.  Be  brave  and  all  will  go 
well.  Write  quickly !  This  is  supposed  to  be 
the  pardon." 

She  wrote  feverishly,  a  thousand  thoughts 
arising  for  every  one  that  she  was  able  to  trans- 
fer to  the  paper.  When  she  had  finished  the 
hope-inspired  scrawl  she  arose  and,  with  a 


406  GRA  USTARK 

gracious  smile,  handed  to  the  waiting  captain 
the  pardon  for  those  who  had  secreted  th« 
fugitive. 

"I  grant  forgiveness  to  them  gladly,"  she 
said. 

"I  thank  you,"  said  Lorry,  bowing  low. 

"Mr.  Lorry,  I  regret  the  difficulty  in  which 
you  find  yourself.  It  was  on  my  account,  too, 
I  am  told.  Be  you  guilty  or  innocent,  you  are 
my  friend,  my  protector.  May  God  be  good 
to  you."  She  gave  him  her  hand  calmly, 
steadily,  as  if  she  were  bestowing  favor  upon  a 
subject.  He  kissed  the  hand  gravely. 

"Forgive  me  for  trespassing  on  your  good 
nature  to-night,  your  Highness. 

"The  five  thousand  gavvos  shall  be  yours  to- 
morrow, Captain  Quinnox,"  she  said,  gra- 
ciously. "You  have  -done  your  duty  well." 
The  faithful  captain  bowed  deep  and  low  and  a 
weight  was  lifted  from  his  conscience. 

"Gentlemen,  the  door,"  he  said,  and  without 
a  word  the  trio  left  the  room.  She  closed  the 
door  and  stood  like  a  statue  until  their  foot- 
steps died  away  in  the  distance.  As  one  in  a 
daze  she  sat  at  the  desk  till  the  dawn,  Gren- 
fall  Lorry's  revolver  lying  before  her. 

Through  the  halls,  down  the  stairs  and  into 
the  clammy  dungeon  strode  the  silent  trio. 


OFF  TO  THE  DUNGEON  4°7 

But  before  Lorry  stepped  inside  the  cell  Gabriel 
asked  a  question  that  had  been  troubling  him 
for  many  minutes. 

"I  am  afraid  I  have  —  ah  —  misjudged 

her "  muttered  Gabriel,  now  convinced 

that  he  had  committed  himself  irretrievably. 

"You  will  find  she  has  not  misjudged  you," 
said  the  prisoner,  grimly.  "Can't  I  have  a 
candle  in  here,  captain?" 

"You  may  keep  this  lantern,"  said  Quin- 
nox,  stepping  inside  the  narrow  cell.  As  he 
placed  the  lantern  on  the  floor  he  whispered : 
"I  will  return  in  an  hour.  Read  this!" 
Lorry's  hand  closed  over  the  bit  of  perfumed 
paper. 

The  Prince  was  now  inside  the  cell,  peering 
about  curiously,  even  timorously.  "By  the 
way,  your  Highness,  how  would  you  enjoy 
living  in  a  hole  like  this  all  your  life?" 

"Horrible!"  said  Gabriel,  shuddering  like  a 
leaf. 

"Then  take  my  advice:  don't  commit  any 
murders.  Hire  some  one  else. " 

The  two  men  eyed  each  other  steadily  for  a 
moment  or  two.  Then  the  Prince  looked  out 
of  the  cell,  a  mad  desire  to  fly  from  some 
dreadful,  unseen  horror  coming  over  him. 

Quinnox  locked  the   door,   and,   striking  a 


408  GRA  U STARK 

match,  bade  His  Highness  precede  him  up  the 
stone  steps. 

In  the  cell  the  prisoner  read  and  reread  the 
incoherent  message  from  Yetive : 

"It  is  the  only  way.  Quinnox  will  assist 
you  to  escape  to-night.  Go,  I  implore  you ;  as 
you  love  me,  go.  Your  life  is  more  than  all  to 
me.  Gabriel's  story  will  not  be  entertained 
and  he  can  have  no  proof.  He  will  be  torn  to 
pieces,  Quinnox  says.  I  do  not  know  how  I 
can  live  until  I  am  certain  you  are  safe.  This 
will  be  the  longest  night  a  woman  ever  spent. 
If  I  could  only  be  sure  that  you  will  do  as  I 
ask,  as  I  beg  and  implore!  Do  not  think  of 
me,  but  save  yourself.  I  would  lose  every- 
thing to  save  you. ' ' 

He  smiled  sadly  as  he  burned  the  "pardon." 
The  concluding  sentences  swept  away  the  last 
thought  he  might  have  had  of  leaving  her  to 
bear  the  consequences.  ' '  Do  not  think  of  me, 
but  save  yourself.  I  would  lose  everything  to 
save  you."  He  leaned  against  the  stone  wall 
and  shook  his  head  slowly,  the  smile  still  on 
his  lips. 


XXV 

"BECA  USE  I  LOVE  HIM" 

The  next  morning  Edelweiss  was  astir  early. 
Great  throngs  of  people  nocked  the  streets  long 
before  the  hour  set  for  the  signing  of  the  de- 
cree that  was  to  divide  the  north  from  the 
south.  There  were  men  and  women  from  the 
mountains,  from  the  southern  valleys,  from 
the  plains  to  the  north  and  east.  Sullen  were 
the  mutterings,  threatening  the  faces,  resent- 
ful the  hearts  of  those  who  crowded  the  shops, 
the  public  places  and  the  streets.  Before  nine 
o'clock  the  great  concourse  of  people  began  to 
push  toward  the  castle.  Castle  Avenue  was 
packed  with  the  moving  masses.  Thousands 
upon  thousands  of  this  humbled  race  gathered 
outside  the  walls,  waiting  for  news  from  the 
castle  with  the  spark  of  hope  that  does  not  die 
until  the  very  end,  nursing  the  possibility  that 
something  might  intervene  at  the  last  moment 
to  save  the  country  from  disgrace  and  ruin. 

A  strong  guard  was  required  to  keep  the 
mob  back  from  the  gates,  and  the  force  of  men 
on  the  wall  had  been  quadrupled.  Business  in 
409 


410  GRAUSTARK 

the  city  was  suspended.  The  whole  nation,  it 
seemed,  stood  before  the  walls,  awaiting,  with 
bated  breath  and  dismal  faces,  the  announce- 
ment that  Yetive  had  deeded  to  Bolaroz  the 
lands  and  lives  of  half  of  her  subjects.  The 
northern  plainsmen  who  were  so  soon  to  ac- 
knowledge Axphain  sovereignty,  wept  and 
wailed  over  their  unhappy  lot.  Brothers  and 
sisters  from  the  south  cursed  and  moaned  in 
sympathy. 

Shortly  before  nine  o'clock,  Harry  Anguish, 
with  his  guard  of  six,  rode  up  to  the  castle. 
Captain  Dangloss  was  beside  him  on  his  gray 
charger.  They  had  scarcely  passed  inside  the 
gates  when  a  cavalcade  of  mounted  men  came 
riding  up  the  avenue  from  the  Hotel  Regen- 
getz.  Then  the  howling,  the  hissing,  the 
hooting  began.  Maledictions  were  hurled  at 
the  heads  of  Axphain  noblemen  as  they  rode 
between  the  maddened  lines  of  people.  They 
smiled  sardonically  in  reply  to  the  impotent 
signs  of  hatred,  but  they  were  glad  when  the 
castle  gates  closed  between  them  and  the  vast, 
despairing  crowd,  in  which  the  tempest  of 
revolt  was  brewing  with  unmistakable  energy. 

Prince  Bolaroz,  the  Duke  of  Mizrox  and  the 
ministers  were  already  in  the  castle  and  had 
been  there  since  the  previous  afternoon.  In  the 


"SEC A  USE  I  LO  VE  HIM"  4" 

royal  palace  the  excitement  was  intense,  but  it 
was  of  the  subdued  kind  that  strains  the  nerves 
to  the  point  where  control  is  martyrdom. 

When  the  attendants  went  to  the  bed  cham- 
ber of  the  Princess  at  seven  o'clock,  as  was 
their  wont,  they  found,  to  their  surprise,  no 
one  standing  guard. 

The  Princess  was  not  in  her  chamber,  nor 
had  she  been  there  during  the  night.  The  bed 
was  undisturbed.  In  some  alarm  the  two 
women  ran  to  her  parlor,  then  to  the  boudoir. 
Here  they  found  her  asleep  on  the  divan, 
attired  in  the  gown  she  had  worn  since  the 
evening  before,  now  crumpled  and  creased,  the 
proof  positive  of  a  restless,  miserable  night. 

Her  first  act  after  awakening  and  untangling 
the  meshes  in  her  throbbing,  uncomprehend- 
ing brain,  was  to  send  for  Quinnox.  She  could 
scarcely  wait  for  his  appearance  and  the  assur- 
ance that  Lony  was  safely  out  of  danger. 
The  footman  who  had  been  sent  to  fetch  the 
captain  was  a  long  time  in  returning.  She  was 
dressed  in  her  breakfast  gown  long  before  he 
came  in  with  the  report  that  the  captain  was 
nowhere  to  be  found.  Her  heart  gave  a  great 
throb  of  joy.  She  alone  could  explain  his 
absence.  To  her  it  meant  but  one  thing: 
Lorry's  flight  from  the  castle.  Where  else 


412  GRAUSTARK 

could  Quinnox  be  except  with  the  fugitive, 
perhaps  once  more  inside  St.  Valentine's? 
With  the  great  load  of  suspense  off  her  mind 
she  cared  not  for  the  trials  that  still  confronted 
her  on  that  dreaded  morning.  She  had  saved 
him,  and  she  was  willing  to  pay  the  price. 

Preparations  began  at  once  for  the  eventful 
transaction  in  the  throne  room.  The  splendor 
of  two  Courts  was  to  shine  in  rivalry.  Ten 
o'clock  was  the  hour  set  for  the  meeting  of  the 
two  rulers,  the  victor  and  the  victim.  Her 
nobles  and  her  ladies,  her  ministers,  her  guards 
and  her  lackeys  moved  about  in  the  halls, 
dreading  the  hour,  brushing  against  the  hated 
Axphain  guests.  In  one  of  the  small  waiting 
rooms  sat  the  Count  and  Countess  Halfont,  the 
latter  in  tears.  The  young  Countess  Dagmar 
stood  at  a  window  with  Harry  Anguish.  The 
latter  was  flushed  and  nervous  and  acted  like  a 
man  who  expects  that  which  is  unexpected  by 
others.  With  a  strange  confidence  in  his 
voice,  he  sought  to  cheer  his  depressed  friends, 
but  the  cheerfulness  was  not  contagious.  The 
sombreness  of  a  burial  hung  over  the  castle. 

Half  an  hour  before  the  time  set  for  the 
meeting  in  the  throne  room  Yetive  sent  for  her 
uncle,  her  aunt  and  Dagmar.  As  Anguish 
and  the  latter  followed  the  girl  turned  her  sad, 


"BECA  USE  I  LO  VE  fffM"  413 

puzzled  eyes  up  to  the  face  of  the  tall  Ameri- 
can and  asked : 

"Are  you  rejoicing  over  our  misfortune? 
You  do  not  show  a  particle  of  regret.  Do  you 
forget  that  we  are  sacrificing  a  great  deal  to 
save  the  life  of  your  friend?  I  do  not  under- 
stand how  you  can  be  so  heartless." 

"If  you  knew  what  I  know  you'd  jump  so 
high  you  could  crack  those  pretty  heels  of 
yours  together  ten  times  before  you  touched 
the  floor  again,"  said  he,  warmly. 

"Please  tell  me,"  she  cried.  "I  knew  there 
was  something." 

"But  I  am  afraid  so  high  a  jump  would  up- 
set you  for  the  day.  You  must  wait  awhile, 
Dagmar. ' '  It  was  the  first  time  he  had  called 
her  Dagmar,  and  she  looked  startled. 

"  I  am  not  used  to  waiting,"  she  said,  con- 
fusedly. 

"I  think  I  can  explain  satisfactorily  when  I 
have  more  time,"  he  said,  softly  in  her  ear, 
and,  although  she  tried,  she  could  find  no 
words  to  continue.  He  left  her  at  the  head  of 
the  stairs,  and  did  not  see  her  again  until  she 
passed  him  in  the  throne  room.  Then  she  was 
pale  and  brave  and  trembling. 

Prince  Bolaroz  and  his  nobles  stood  to  the 
right  of  the  throne,  the  Graustark  men  and 


4U  GRA  USTARK 

women  of  degree  to  the  left,  while  near  the 
door,  on  both  sides  were  to  be  seen  the  leading 
military  men  of  both  principalities.  Near  the 
Duke  of  Mizrox  was  stationed  the  figure  of 
Gabriel,  Prince  of  Dawsbergen.  He  had 
come,  with  a  half  dozen  followers,  among  a 
crowd  of  unsuspecting  Axphainians,  and  had 
taken  his  position  near  the  throne.  Anguish 
entered  with  Baron  Dangloss  and  they  stood 
together  near  the  doorway,  the  latter  whiter 
than  he  had  ever  been  in  his  life. 

Then  came  the  hush  of  expectancy.  The 
doors  swung  open,  the  curtains  parted  and  the 
Princess  entered. 

She  was  supported  by  the  arm  of  her  tall 
uncle,  Caspar  of  Halfont.  Pages  carried  the 
train  of  her  dress,  a  jeweled  gown  of  black. 
As  she  advanced  to  the  throne,  calm  and 
stately,  those  assembled  bent  knee  to  the  fair- 
est woman  the  eye  ever  had  looked  upon. 

The  calm,  proud  exterior  hid  the  most  un- 
happy of  hearts.  The  resolute  courage  with 
which  her  spirit  had  been  braced  for  the  occa- 
sion was  remarkable  in  more  ways  than  one. 
Among  other  inspirations  behind  the  valiant 
show  was  the  bravery  of  a  guilty  conscience. 
Her  composure  sustained  a  shock  when  she 
passed  Allode  at  the  door.  That  faithful, 


"£ECA  USE  I  LO  VE  HIM"  415 

heart-broken  servitor  looked  at  her  face  with 
pleading,  horror-struck  eyes  as  much  as  to  say : 
"Good  God,  are  you  going  to  destroy  Grau- 
stark  for  the  sake  of  that  murderer?  Have 
pity  on  us — have  pity!" 

Before  taking  her  seat  on  the  throne,  she 
swept  the  thrilled  assemblage  with  her  wide 
blue  eyes.  There  were  shadows  beneath  them 
and  there  were  wells  of  tears  behind  them.  As 
she  looked  upon  the  little  knot  of  white-faced 
northern  barons,  her  knees  trembled  and  her 
heart  gave  a  great  throb  of  pity.  Still  the  face 
was  resolute.  Then  she  saw  Anguish  and  the 
suffering  Dan  gloss;  then  the  accusing,  merci- 
less eyes  of  Gabriel.  At  sight  of  him  she 
started  violently  and  an  icy  fear  crept  into  her 
soul.  Instinctively  she  searched  the  gorgeous 
company  for  the  captain  of  the  guard.  Her 
staunchest  ally  was  not  there.  Was  she  to 
hear  the  condemning  words  alone?  Would  the 
people  do  as  Quinnox  had  prophesied,  or  would 
they  believe  Gabriel  and  curse  her? 

She  sank  into  the  great  chair  and  sat  with 
staring,  helpless  eyes,  deserted  and  feeble. 

At  last  the  whirling  brain  ended  its  flight 
and  settled  down  to  the  issue  first  at  hand — the 
transaction  with  Bolaroz.  Summoning  all  her 
self-control,  she  said: 


4i  6  GRAUSTARK 

"You  are  come,  most  noble  Bolaroz,  to  draw 
from  us  the  price  of  our  defeat.  We  are  loyal 
to  our  compact,  as  you  are  to  yours,  sire.  Yet, 
in  the  presence  of  my  people  and  in  the  name 
of  mercy  and  justice,  I  ask  you  to  grant  us 
respite.  You  are  rich  and  powerful,  we  de- 
spoiled and  struggling  beneath  a  weight  we 
can  lift  and  displace  if  given  a  few  short  years 
in  which  to  grow  and  gather  strength.  At  this 
last  hour  in  the  fifteen  years  of  our  indebted- 
ness, I  sue  in  supplication  for  the  leniency  that 
you  can  so  well  accord.  It  is  on  the  advice  of 
my  counsellors  that  I  put  away  personal  pride 
and  national  dignity  to  make  this  request,  trust- 
ing to  your  goodness  of  heart.  If  you  will  not 
hearken  to  our  petition  for  a  renewal  of  nego- 
tiations, there  is  but  one  course  open  to  Grau- 
stark.  We  can  and  will  pay  our  debt  of 
honor. ' ' 

Bolaroz  stood  before  her,  dark  and  uncom- 
promising. She  saw  the  futility  of  her  plea. 

"I  have  not  forgotten,  most  noble  petitioner, 
that  you  are  ruler  here,  not  I.  Therefore  I  am 
in  no  way  responsible  for  the  conditions  which 
confront  you,  except  that  I  am  an  honest 
creditor,  come  for  his  honest  dues.  This  is 
the  twentieth  of  November.  You  have  had 
fifteen  years  to  accumulate  enough  to  meet 


"BECA  USE  I  LO  VE  HIM  "  417 

the  requirements  of  this  day.  Should  I  suffer 
for  your  faults?  There  is  in  the  treaty  a  pro- 
vision which  applies  to  an  emergency  of  this 
kind.  Your  inability  to  liquidate  in  gold  does 
not  prevent  the  payment  of  this  honest  debt  in 
land,  as  provided  for  in  the  sixth  clause  of  the 
agreement.  'All  that  part  of  Graustark  north 
of  a  line  drawn  directly  from  east  to  west  be- 
tween the  provinces  of  Ganlook  and  Doswan,  a 
tract  comprising  Doswan,  Shellotz,  Varagan, 
Oeswald,  Sesmai  and  Gattabatton. '  You  have 
two  alternatives,  your  Highness.  Produce  the 
gold  or  sign  the  decree  ceding  to  Axphain  the 
lands  stipulated  in  the  treaty.  I  can  grant  no 
respite." 

"You  knew  when  that  treaty  was  framed 
that  we  could  raise  no  such  funds  in  fifteen 
years,"  said  Halfont,  forgetting  himself  in  his 
indignation.  Gaspon  and  other  men  present 
approved  his  hasty  declaration. 

"Am  I  dealing  with  the  Princess  of  Grau- 
stark or  with  you,  sir?"  asked  Bolaroz,  roughly. 

"You  are  dealing  with  the  people  of  Grau- 
stark, and  among  the  poorest,  I.  I  will  sign 
the  decree.  There  is  nothing  to  be  gained  by 
appealing  to  you.  The  papers,  Gaspon,  quick ! 
I  would  have  this  transaction  finished  speedily, " 
cried  the  Princess,  her  cheeks  flushing  and  her 


418  GRA  USTARK 

eyes  glowing  from  the  flames  of  a  burning 
conscience.  The  groan  that  went  tip  from  the 
northern  nobles  cut  her  like  the  slash  of  a  knife. 

"There  was  one  other  condition,"  said 
Bolaroz,  hastily,  unable  to  gloat  as  he  had  ex- 
pected. "The  recapture  of  the  assassin  who 
slew  my  son  would  have  meant  much  to  Grau- 
stark.  It  is  unfortunate  that  your  police 
department  is  so  inefficient."  Dangloss 
writhed  beneath  this  thrust.  Yetive's  eyes 
went  to  him,  for  an  instant,  sorrowfully. 
Then  they  dropped  to  the  fatal  document 
which  Gaspon  had  placed  on  the  table  before 
her.  The  lines  ran  together  and  were  the 
color  of  blood.  Unconsciously  she  took  the 
pen  in  her  nerveless  fingers.  A  deep  sob 
came  from  the  breast  of  her  gray  old  uncle, 
and  Gaspon 's  hand  shook  like  a  leaf  as  he 
placed  the  seal  of  Graustark  on  the  table, 
ready  for  use. 

"The  assassin's  life  could  have  saved  you," 
went  on  Bolaroz,  a  vengeful  glare  coming  to 
his  eyes. 

She  looked  up  and  her  lips  moved  as  if  she 
would  have  spoken.  No  words  came,  no 
breath,  it  seemed  to  her.  Casting  a  piteous, 
hunted  glance  over  the  faces  before  her,  she 
bent  forward  and  blindly  touched  the  pen  to 


"JBECA  USE  I  LO  VE  HIM"  4*9 

the  paper.  The  silence  was  that  of  death. 
Before  she  could  make  the  first  stroke,  a  harsh 
voice,  in  which  there  was  combined  triumph 
and  amazement,  broke  the  stillness  like  the 
clanging  of  a  bell. 

"Have  you  no  honor?" 

The  pen  dropped  from  her  fingers  as  the 
expected  condemnation  came.  Every  eye  in 
the  house  was  turned  toward  the  white,  twitch- 
ing face  of  Gabriel  of  Dawsbergen.  He  stood 
a  little  apart  from  his  friends,  his  finger 
pointed  throneward.  The  Princess  stared  at 
the  nemesis-like  figure  for  an  instant,  as  if 
petrified.  Then  the  pent-up  fear  crowded 
everything  out  of  its  path.  In  sheer  despera- 
tion, her  eyes  flashing  with  the  intensity  of 
defiant  guilt,  bitter  rage  welling  up  against 
her  persecutor,  she  half  arose  and  cried: 

"Who  uttered  those  words?     Speak!" 

"I,  Gabriel  of  Dawsbergen!  Where  is  the 
prisoner,  madam?"  rang  out  the  voice. 

"The  man  is  mad!"  cried  she,  sinking  back 
with  a  shudder. 

"Mad,  eh?  Because  I  do  as  I  did  promise? 
Behold  the  queen  of  perfidy!  Madam,  I  will 
be  heard.  Lorry  is  in  this  castle!" 

"He  is  mad!"  gasped  Bolaroz,  the  first  of 
the  stunned  spectators  to  find  his  tongue. 


420  GRA  USTARK 

There  was  a  commotion  near  the  door. 
Voices  were  heard  outside. 

"You  have  been  duped!"  insisted  Gabriel, 
taking  several  steps  toward  the  throne.  "Your 
idol  is  a  traitress,  a  deceiver !  I  say  he  is  here ! 
She  has  seen  him.  Let  her  sign  that  decree  if 
she  dares!  I  command  you,  Yetive  of  Grau- 
stark,  to  produce  this  criminal!" 

The  impulse  to  crush  the  denier  was  checked 
by  the  sudden  appearance  of  two  men  inside 
the  curtains. 

"He  is  here!"  cried  a  strong  voice,  and 
Lorry,  breathless  and  haggard,  pushed  through 
the  astonished  crowd,  followed  by  Captain 
Quinnox,  upon  whose  ghastly  face  there  were 
bloodstains. 

A  shout  went  up  from  those  assembled,  a 
shout  of  joy.  The  faces  of  Dangloss  and 
Allode  were  pictures  of  astonishment  and — it 
must  be  said — relief.  Harry  Anguish  stag- 
gered but  recovered  himself  instantly,  and 
turned  his  eyes  toward  Gabriel.  That  worthy's 
legs  trembled  and  his  jaw  dropped. 

"I  have  the  prisoner,  your  Highness,"  said 
Quinnox,  in  hoarse,  discordant  tones.  He 
stood  before  the  throne  with  his  captive,  but 
dared  not  look  his  mistress  in  the  face.  As 
they  stood  there  the  story  of  the  night  just 


"BECA  USE  I LO  VE  HIM  "  421 

passed  was  told  by  the  condition  of  the  two 
men.  There  had  been  a  struggle  for  supremacy 
in  the  dungeon  and  the  prisoner  had  won. 
The  one  had  tried  to  hold  the  other  to  the 
dungeon's  safety,  after  his  refusal  to  leave  the 
castle,  and  the  other  had  fought  his  way  to  the 
halls  above.  It  was  then  that  Quinnox  had 
wit  enough  to  change  front  and  drag  his  pris- 
oner to  the  place  which,  most  of  all,  he  had 
wished  to  avoid. 

"The  prisoner ! ' '  shouted  the  northern  nobles, 
and  in  an  instant  the  solemn  throne  room  was 
wild  with  excitement. 

"Do  not  sign  that  decree!"  cried  some  one 
from  a  far  corner. 

"Here  is  your  man,  Prince  Bolaroz!"  cried  a 
baron. 

"Quinnox  has  saved  us!"  shouted  another. 

The  Princess,  white  as  death  and  as  motion- 
less, sat  bolt  upright  in  her  royal  seat. 

"Oh!"  she  moaned,  piteously,  and,  clench- 
ing her  hands,  she  carried  them  to  her  eyes  as 
if  to  shut  out  the  sight.  The  Countess  Hal- 
font  and  Dagmar  ran  to  her  side,  the  latter 
frantic  with  alarm.  She  knew  more  than  the 
others. 

"Are  you  the  fugitive?"  cried  Bolaroz. 

*'I  am  Grenfall  Lorry.     Are  you  Bolaroz?' 


432  GRA  USTARK 

"The  father  of  the  man  you  murdered.  Ah, 
this  is  rapture!" 

"I  have  only  to  say  to  your  Highness,  I  did 
not  kill  your  son.  I  swear  it,  so  help  me  God ! ' ' 

"Your  Highness, "  cried  Bolaroz,  stepping  to 
the  throne,  "destroy  that  decree.  This  brave 
soldier  has  saved  Graustark.  In  an  hour  your 
ministers  and  mine  will  have  drawn  up  a  ten 
years'  extension  of  time,  in  proper  form,  to 
which  my  signature  shall  be  gladly  attached. 
I  have  not  forgotten  my  promise. ' ' 

Yetive  straightened  suddenly,  seized  the  pen 
and  fiercely  began  to  sign  the  decree,  in  spite 
of  all  and  before  those  about  her  fairly  realized 
her  intention.  Lorry  understood,  and  was  the 
first  to  snatch  the  document  from  her  hands. 
A  half- written  Yetive,  a  blot  and  a  long,  splut- 
tering scratch  of  the  pen  told  how  near  she  had 
come  to  signing  away  the  lands  of  Graustark, 
forgetful  of  the  fact  that  it  could  be  of  no 
benefit  to  the  prisoner  she  loved. 

*' Yetive!"  gasped  her  uncle,  in  horror. 

"She  would  have  signed,"  cried  Gaspon,  in 
wonder  and  alarm. 

"Yes,  I  would  have  signed!"  she  exclaimed, 
starting  to  her  feet,  strong  and  defiant.  "I 
could  not  have  saved  his  life,  perhaps,  but  I 
might  have  saved  him  from  the  cruel  injustice 


"SEC A  USE  I  LO  VE  HIM  "  42  3 

that  that  man's  vengeance  would  have  in- 
vented. He  is  innocent,  and  I  would  give  my 
kingdom  to  stay  the  wrong  that  will  be  done." 

"What!  You  defend  the  dog!"  cried 
Bolaroz.  "Seize  him,  men!  I  will  see  that 
justice  is  done.  It  is  no  girl  he  has  to  deal 
with  now." 

"Stop!"  cried  the  Princess,  the  command 
checking  the  men.  Quinnox  leaped  in  front  of 
his  charge.  "He  is  my  prisoner,  and  he  shall 
have  justice.  Keep  back  your  soldiery,  Prince 
Bolaroz.  It  is  a  girl  you  have  to  deal  with.  I 
will  say  to  you  all,  my  people  and  yours,  that  I 
believe  him  to  be  innocent  and  that  I  sincerely 
regret  his  capture,  fortunate  as  it  may  be  for  us. 
He  shall  have  a  fair  and  a  just  trial,  and  I 
shall  do  all  in  my  power,  Prince  Bolaroz,  to 
secure  his  acquittal." 

"Why  do  you  take  this  stand,  Yetive?  Why 
have  you  tried  to  shield  him?"  cried  the  heart- 
broken Halfont. 

She  drew  herself  to  her  full  height,  and, 
sweeping  the  threatening  crowd  with  a  chal- 
lenge in  her  eyes,  cried,  the  tones  ringing 
strong  and  clear  above  the  growing  tumult : 

"Because  I  love  him!" 

As  if  by  magic  the  room  became  suddenly 
still 


4«4  GRA  USTARK 

• 

' '  Behold  an  honest  man.  I  would  have  saved 
him  at  the  cost  of  my  honor.  Scorn  me  if  you 
will,  but  listen  to  this.  The  man  who  stands 
here  accused  came  voluntarily  to  this  castle,  sur- 
rendering himself  to  Captain  Quinnox,  that 
he  might,  though  innocent,  stand  between  us 
and  disaster.  He  was  safe  from  our  pursuit, 
yet  returned,  perhaps  to  his  death.  For  me, 
for  you  and  for  Graustark  he  has  done  this.  Is 
there  a  man  among  you  who  would  have  done 
as  much  for  his  own  country?  Yet  he  does  this 
for  a  country  to  which  he  is  stranger.  I  must 
commit  him  to  prison  once  more.  But, ' '  she 
cried  in  sudden  fierceness,  "I  promise  him  now, 
before  the  trial,  a  royal  pardon.  Do  I  make 
my  meaning  clear  to  you,  Prince  Bolaroz?" 

The  white  lips  of  the  old  Prince  could  frame 
no  reply  to  this  daring  speech. 

"Be  careful  what  you  say,  your  Highness, " 
cried  the  prisoner,  hastily.  "I  must  refuse  to 
accept  a  pardon  at  the  cost  of  your  honor.  It 
is  because  I  love  you  better  than  my  life  that  I 
stand  here.  I  cannot  allow  you  and  your 
people  to  suffer  when  it  is  in  my  power  to 
prevent  it.  All  that  I  can  ask  is  fairness  and 
justice.  I  am  not  guilty,  and  God  will  protect 
me.  Prince  Bolaroz,  I  call  upon  you  to  keep 
your  promise.  I  am  not  the  slayer  of  your  son, 


"BECA  USE  I LO  VE  HIM  "  425 

but  I  am  the  man  you  would  send  to  the  block, 
guilty  or  innocent." 

As  he  spoke,  the  Princess  dropped  back  in 
the  chair,  her  rash  courage  gone.  A  stir  near 
the  doorway  followed  his  concluding  sentence, 
and  the  other  American  stepped  forward,  his 
face  showing  his  excitement. 

"Your Highness,"  he  said,  "I  should  have 
spoken  sooner.  My  lips  were  parted  and  ready 
to  cry  out  when  Prince  Gabriel  interposed  and 
prevented  the  signing  of  the  decree.  Grenfall 
Lorry  did  not  kill  the  young  Prince.  I  can 
produce  the  guilty  man!" 


XXVI 

THE  GUESSING  OF  ANGUISH 

The  startling  assertion  created  a  fresh  sen- 
sation. Sensations  had  come  so  thick  and  so 
fast,  however,  that  they  seemed  component 
parts  of  one  grand  bewildering  climax.  The 
new  actor  in  the  drama  held  the  center  of  the 
stage  undisputed. 

"Harry!"  cried  Lorry. 

"Prince  Gabriel,  why  do  you  shake  like  a  leaf? 
Is  it  because  you  know  what  I  am  going  to 
say?"  exclaimed  Anguish,  pointing  his  finger 
accusingly  at  the  astonished  Prince  of  Daws- 
bergen. 

Gabriel's  lips  parted,  but  nothing  more  than 
a  gasp  escaped  them.  Involuntarily  his  eyes 
sought  the  door,  then  the  windows,  the  peculiar 
uncontrollable  look  of  the  hunted  coming  into 
them.  Bolaroz  allowed  his  gaze  to  leap 
instantly  to  that  pallid  face  and  every  eye  in 
the  room  followed.  Yetive  was  standing 
again,  her  face  glowing. 

"An  accomplice  has  confessed  all.  I  have 
the  word  of  the  man  who  saw  the  crime  com- 
426 


THE  G  UESSING  OF  ANG  UISH         4*  7 

mitted.     I  charge  Prince  Gabriel  with  the  mur- 
der of  His  Highness,  Prince  Lorenz. " 

With  a  groan,  Gabriel  threw  his  hands  to  his 
heart  and  tottered  forward,  glaring  at  the 
merciless  face  of  the  accuser. 

1 '  Confessed !  Betrayed ! "  he  faltered.  Then 
he  whirled  like  a  maniac  upon  his  little  coterie 
of  followers.  "Vile  traitor!"  he  shrieked,  "I 
will  drink  your  heart's  blood!" 

With  a  howl  he  leaped  toward  one  of  the 
men,  a  dark-faced  nobleman  named  Berrowag. 
The  latter  evaded  him  and  rushed  toward  the 
door,  crying: 

"It  is  a  lie!  a  lie!  He  has  tricked  you!  I 
did  not  confess!" 

The  Prince  was  seized  by  his  friends,  strug- 
gling and  cursing.  A  peculiar  smile  lit  up  the 
face  of  Harry  Anguish. 

"I  repeat,  he  is  the  assassin!" 

Gabriel  broke  from  the  detaining  hands  and 
drawing  a  revolver,  rushed  for  the  door. 

"Out  of  the  way !    I  will  not  be  taken  alive ! ' ' 

Allode  met  him  at  the  curtains  and  grasped 
him  in  his  powerful  arms,  Baron  Dangloss  and 
others  tearing  the  weapon  from  his  hand.  The 
utmost  confusion  reigned — women  screaming, 
men  shouting — and  above  all  could  be  heard 
the  howls  of  the  accused  Prince. 


428  GRA  USTARK 

"Let  me  go!  Curse  you!  Curse  you!  I 
will  not  surrender!  Let  me  kill  that  traitor! 
Let  me  at  him!"  Berrowag  had  been  seized 
by  willing  hands,  and  the  two  men  glared  at 
each  other,  one  crazy  with  rage,  the  other 
shrinking  with  fear. 

Damgloss  and  Allode  half  carried,  half 
dragged  the  Prince  forward.  As  he  neared 
Bolaroz  and  the  Princess  he  collapsed  and 
became  a  trembling,  moaning  suppliant  for 
mercy.  Anguish's  accusation  had  struck 
home. 

"Prince  Bolaroz,  I  trust  you  will  not  object 
if  the  Princess  Yetive  substitutes  the  true 
assassin  for  the  man  named  in  your  promise  to 
Graustark,"  said  Anguish,  dramatically.  Bol- 
aroz, as  if  coming  from  a  dream,  turned  and 
knelt  before  the  throne. 

"Most  adorable  Yetive,"  he  said;  "I  sue  for 
pardon.  I  bow  low  and  lay  my  open  heart 
before  the  truest  woman  in  the  world. ' '  He 
kissed  the  black  lace  hem  of  her  gown  and 
arose.  "lam  your  friend  and  ally;  Axphain 
and  Graustark  will  live  no  more  with  hatred  in 
their  hearts.  From  you  I  have  learned  a  les- 
son in  justice  and  constancy." 

Prince  Gabriel  was  raving  like  a  madman  as 
the  officers  hurried  him  and  Berrowag  from 


Tff£  G  UESSING  OF  ANG  UISH         4*9 

the  room.  A  shout  went  up  from  those  as- 
sembled. Its  echo,  reaching  the  halls,  then 
the  gardens,  was  finally  taken  up  by  the  wait- 
ing masses  beyond  the  gates.  The  news  flew 
like  wild-fire.  Rejoicing,  such  as  had  never 
been  known,  shook  Edelweiss  until  the  monks 
on  the  mountain  looked  down  in  wonder. 

After  the  dazed  and  happy  throng  about  the 
throne  had  heaped  its  expressions  of  love  and 
devotion  upon  the  radiant  Princess  a  single 
figure  knelt  in  subjection,  just  as  she  was 
preparing  to  depart.  It  was  the  Duke  of 
Mizrox. 

"Your  Royal  Highness,  Mizrox  is  ready  to  pay 
his  forfeit.  My  life  is  yours, ' '  he  said,  calmly. 
She  did  not  comprehend  until  her  uncle  re- 
minded her  of .  the  oath  Mizrox  had  taken  the 
morning  after  the  murder. 

"He  swore,  on  his  life,  that  you  killed 
Lorenz,"  she  said,  turning  to  Lorry. 

"I  was  wrong,  but  I  am  willing  to  pay  the 
penalty.  My  love  for  Lorenz  was  greater 
than  my  discretion.  That  is  my  only  excuse, 
but  it  is  one  you  should  not  accept,"  said 
Mizrox,  as  coolly  as  if  announcing  the  time  of 
day.  Lorry  looked  first  at  him  and  then  at  the 
Princess,  bewildered  and  uncertain. 

"I  have  no  ill  will  against  you,  my  Lord 


430  GRA  USTARf 

Duke.  Release  him  from  his  bond  your  High- 
ness." 

"Gladly,  since  you  refuse  to  hold  him  to  his 
oath,"  she  said. 

"I  am  under  an  eternal  obligation  to  you,  sir, 
for  your  leniency,  and  I  shall  ever  revere  the 
Princess  who  pardons  so  graciously  the  gravest 
error." 

Yetive  begged  Bolaroz  to  continue  to  make 
the  Court  his  home  while  in  Graustark,  and  the 
old  Prince  responded  with  the  declaration  that 
he  would  remain  long  enough  to  sign  and 
approve  the  new  covenant,  at  least.  Before 
stepping  from  the  throne,  Yetive  called  in  low 
tones  to  Lorry,  a  pretty  flush  mantling  her 
cheek : 

"Will  you  come  to  me  in  half  an  hour?" 

"For  my  reward?"  he  asked,  eagerly. 

"Ach!"  she  cried,  softly,  reprovingly.  Count 
Halfont's  face  took  on  a  troubled  expression  as 
he  caught  the  swift  communication  in  their 
eyes.  After  all,  she  was  a  Princess. 

She  passed  from  the  room  beside  Halfont, 
proud  and  happy  in  the  victory  over  despair, 
glorying  in  the  exposure  of  her  heart  to  the 
world,  her  blood  tingling  and  dancing  with  the 
joys  of  anticipation.  Lorry  and  Anguish,  the 
wonder  and  admiration  of  all,  were  given  a 


THE  G  U ESS  ING  OF  A  NG  UISH         43  * 

short  but  convincing  levee  in  the  hallway. 
Lords  and  ladies  praised  and  lauded  them,  over- 
whelming them  with  the  homage  that  comes 
to  the  brave.  But  Gaspon  uttered  one  wish 
that  struck  Lorry's  warm,  leaping  heart  like 
a  piece  of  ice. 

"Would  to  God  that  you  were  a  Prince  of  the 
realm,"  said  the  minister  of  finance,  a  look  of 
regret  and  longing  in  his  eyes.  That  wish  of 
Gaspon 's  sent  Lorry  away  with  the  sharp  steel 
of  desolation,  torturing  intensely  as  it  drove 
deeper  and  deeper  the  reawakened  pangs  of 
uncertainty.  There  still  remained  the  fatal 
distance  between  him  and  the  object  of  his 
heart's  desire. 

He  accompanied  Captain  Quinnox  to  his 
quarters,  where  he  made  himself  presentable 
before  starting  for  the  enchanted  apartment  in 
the  far  end  of  the  castle.  Eager,  burning  pas- 
sion throbbed  side  by  side  with  the  cold  puls- 
ings of  fear,  a  trembling  race  between  two 
unconquerable  emotions.  Passion  longed  for 
the  voice,  the  eyes,  the  caresses;  fear  cried 
aloud  in  every  troubled  throb:  "You  will  see 
her  and  kiss  her  and  then  you  will  be  ban- 
ished." 

The  two  emotions  thus  thrown  together, 
clashing  fiercely  for  supremacy,  at  last  wove 


432  GRA  USTARK 

themselves  into  a  single,  solid,  uncompromis- 
ing whole.  Out  of  the  two  grew  an  aggressive 
determination  not  to  be  thwarted.  Love  and 
fear  combined  to  give  him  strength ;  from  his 
eyes  fled  the  hopeless  look,  from  his  brain  the 
doubt,  from  his  blood  the  chill. 

"Quinnox,  give  me  your  hand — don't  mind 
the  blood !  You  have  been  my  friend,  and  you 
have  served  her  almost  to  the  death.  I  injured 
and  would  have  killed  you  in  that  cell,  but  it 
was  not  in  anger.  Will  you  be  my  friend  in 
all  that  is  to  follow?" 

"She  has  said  that  she  loves  you,"  said  the 
captain,  returning  the  hand  clasp.  "I  am  at 
your  service  as  well  as  hers. ' ' 

A  few  moments  later  Lorry  was  in  her  pres- 
ence. What  was  said  or  done  during  the  half 
hour  that  passed  between  his  entrance  and  the 
moment  that  brought  them  side  by  side  from 
the  room  need  not  be  told.  That  the  interview 
had  had  its  serious  side  was  plain.  The  trou- 
bled, anxious  eyes  of  the  girl  and  the  rebellious, 
dogged  air  of  the  man  told  of  a  conflict  now 
only  in  abeyance. 

"I  will  never  give  you  up,"  he  said,  as  they 
came  from  the  door.  A  wistful  gleam  flickered 
in  her  eyes,  but  she  did  not  respond  in  words. 

Near  the  head  of  the  stairway  an  animated 


THE  G  UESSING  OF  ANG  UISH         433 

group  of  persons  lingered.  Harry  Anguish 
was  in  the  center  and  the  Countess  Dagmar 
was  directly  in  front  of  him,  looking  up  with 
sparkling  eyes  and  parted  lips.  The  Count 
and  Countess  Halfont,  Gaspon,  the  Baron 
Dangloss,  the  Duke  of  Mizrox,  with  other 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  were  being  entertained 
by  the  gay-spirited  stranger. 

"Here  he  comes,"  cried  the  latter,  as  he 
caught  sight  of  the  approaching  couple. 

"I  am  delighted  to  see  you,  Harry.  You 
were  the  friend  in  need,  old  man,"  said  Lorry, 
wringing  the  other's  hand.  Yetive  gave  him 
her  hand,  her  blue  eyes  overflowing. 

"Mr.  Anguish  had  just  begun  to  tell  us  how 

he — how  he "  began  Dagmar,  but  paused 

helplessly,  looking  to  him  for  relief. 

'Go  ahead,  Countess;  it  isn't  very  elegant, 
but  it's  the  way  I  said  it.  How  I  'got  next' 
to  Gabriel  is  what  she  wants  to  say.  Perhaps 
your  Highness  would  like  to  know  all  about  the 
affair  that  ended  so  tragically.  It's  very 
quickly  told,"  said  Anguish. 

"I  am  deeply  interested,"  said  the  Princess, 
eagerly. 

"Well,  in  the  first  place,  it  was  all  a  bluff," 
said  he,  coolly. 

"A  what!"  demanded  Dagmar. 


434  GRA  U STARK 

"Bluff,"  responded  Harry,  briefly;  "Ameri- 
can patois,  dear  Countess. ' ' 

"In  what  respect, "  asked  Lorry,  beginning 
to  understand. 

"In  all  respects.  I  didn't  have  the  slightest 
sign  of  proof  against  the  festive  Prince." 

"And  you— you  did  all  that  'on  a  bluff'?" 
gasped  the  other. 

"Do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  have 
no  evidence  against  Gabriel?"  asked  Halfont, 
dumbfounded. 

"Not  a  particle." 

"But  you  said  his  confederate  had  con- 
fessed, ' '  protested  Dangloss, 

"I  didn't  know  that  he  had  a  confederate, 
and  I  wasn't  sure  that  he  was  guilty  of  the 
crime,"  boasted  Anguish,  complacently  enjoy- 
ing the  stupefaction. 

"Then  why  did  you  say  so?"  demanded  Dan- 
gloss,  excited  beyond  measure. 

"Oh,  I  just  guessed  at  it!" 

"God  save  us!"  gasped  Baron  Dangloss, 
Chief  of  Police. 

"Guessed  at  it?"  cried  Mizrox. 

"That's  it.  It  was  a  bold  stroke,  but  it  won. 
Now,  I'll  tell  you  this  much.  I  was  morally 
certain  that  Gabriel  killed  the  Prince.  There 
was  no  way  on  earth  to  prove  it,  however,  and 


THE  G  UESSING  OF  ANG  UISH         43  5 

I'll  admit  it  was  intuition  or  something  of  that 
sort  which  convinced  me.  He  had  tried  to 
abduct  the  Princess,  and  he  was  madly  jealous 
of  Lorenz.  Although  he  knew  there  was  to  be 
a  duel,  he  was  not  certain  that  Lorenz  would 
lose,  so  he  adopted  a  clever  plan  to  get  rid  of 
two  rivals  by  killing  one  and  casting  suspicion 
on  the  other.  These  deductions  I  made  soon 
after  the  murder,  but,  of  course,  could  secure 
no  proof.  Early  this  morning,  at  the  hotel,  I 
made  up  my  mind  to  denounce  him  suddenly  if 
I  had  the  chance,  risking  failure  but  hoping  for 
such  an  exhibition  as  that  which  you  saw.  It 
was  clear  to  me  that  he  had  an  accomplice  to 
stand  guard  while  he  did  the  stabbing,  but  I 
did  not  dream  it  was  Berrowag.  Lorry's 
sensational  appearance,  when  I  believed  him 
to  be  far  away  from  here,  disturbed  me  greatly 
but  it  made  it  all  the  more  necessary  that 
I  should  take  the  risk  with  Gabriel.  As  I 
watched  him  I  became  absolutely  convinced  of 
his  guilt.  The  only  way  to  accuse  him  was  to 
do  it  boldly  and  thoroughly,  so  I  rang  in  the 
accomplice  and  the  witness  features.  You  all 
know  how  the  'bluff'  worked." 

"And  you  had  no  more  proof  than  this?" 
asked  Dangloss,  weakly. 

'  4  That's  all, ' '  laughed  the  delighted  strategist. 


436  GRA  USTARK 

Dangloss  stared  at  him  for  a  moment,  then 
threw  up  his  hands  and  walked  away,  shaking 
his  head,  whether  in  stupefied  admiration  or 
utter  disbelief,  no  one  knew.  The  others 
covered  Anguish  with  compliments,  and  he 
was  more  than  ever  the  hero  of  the  day.  Such 
confidence  paralyzed  the  people.  The  only  one 
who  was  not  overcome  with  astonishment  was 
his  countryman. 

"You  did  it  well,"  he  said  in  an  undertone 
to  Anguish;  "devilish  well." 

"You  might  at  least  say  I  did  it  to  the 
queen's  taste,"  growled  Anguish,  meaningly, 

"Well,  then,  you  did,"  laughed  Lorry 


XXVII 

ON  THE  BALCONY  AGAIN 

Three  persons  in  the  royal  castle  of  Grau- 
stark,  worn  by  the  dread  and  anxiety  of  weeks, 
fatigued  by  the  sleepless  nights  just  past,  slum- 
bered through  the  long  afternoon  with  the 
motionless,  deathlike  sleep  of  the  utterly 
fagged.  Yetive,  in  her  darkened  bed  cham- 
ber, dreamed,  with  smiling  lips,  of  a  tall  sol- 
dier and  a  throne  on  which  cobwebs  multiplied. 
Grenf  all  Lorry  saw  in  his  dreams  a  slim  soldier 
with  troubled  face  and  averted,  timid  eyes, 
standing  guard  over  him  with  a  brave,  stiff 
back  and  chin  painfully  uplifted.  Captain 
Quinnox  dreamed  not,  for  his  mind  was  tran- 
quil in  the  assurance  that  he  had  been  forgiven 
by  the  Princess. 

While  Lorry  slept  in  the  room  set  apart  for 
him,  Anguish  roamed  the  park  with  a  happy- 
faced,  slender  young  lady,  into  whose  ears 
he  poured  the  history  of  a  certain  affection, 
from  the  tender  beginning  to  the  distracting 
end.  And  she  smiled  and  trembled  with 
delight,  closing  not  her  ears  against  the  sound 

437 


438  GRA  USTARK 

of  his  voice  nor  her  heart  to  the  love  that 
craved  admission.  They  were  not  dreaming1. 

After  dinner  that  evening  Lorry  led  the 
Princess  out  into  the  moonlit  night.  The 
November  breezes  were  soft  and  balmy  and 
the  shadows  deep. 

"Let  us  leave  the  park  to  Dagmar  and  her 
hero,  to  the  soldiers  and  the  musicians, ' '  said 
Yetive.  "There  is  a  broad  portico  here,  with 
the  tenderest  of  memories.  Do  you  remember 
a  night  like  this,  a  month  or  more  ago?  the 
moon,  the  sentinel  and  some  sorrows?  I  would 
again  stand  where  we  stood  on  that  night  and 
again  look  up  to  the  moon  and  the  solemn 
sentinel,  but  not*  as  we  saw  them  then,  with 
heartache  and  evasion." 

"The  balcony,  then,  without  the  old  restric- 
tions," Lorry  agreed.  "I  want  to  see  that 
dark  old  monastery  again,  and  to  tell  you  how 
I  looked  from  its  lofty  windows  through  the 
chill  of  wind  and  the  chill  of  life  into  the  fair- 
est Eden  that  was  ever  denied  man." 

"In  an  hour,  then,  I  will  meet  you  there." 

"I  must  correct  you.  In  an  hour  you  will 
find  me  there." 

She  left  him,  retiring  with  her  aunt  and  the 
Countess  Dagmar.  Lorry  remained  in  the 
hall  with  Halfont.  Prince  Bolaroz,  Mizrox  and 


ON  THE  BALCONY  AGAIN  439 

Anguish.  The  conversation  ran  once  more 
into  the  ever-recurring  topic  of  the  day, 
Gabriel's  confession.  The  Prince  of  Daws- 
bergen  was  confined  in  the  Tower  with  his  con- 
federate, Berrowag.  Reports  from  Dangloss 
late  in  the  afternoon  conveyed  the  intelligence 
that  the  prisoner  had  fallen  into  melancholia. 
Berrowag  admitted  to  the  police  that  he  had 
stood  guard  at  the  door  while  Gabriel  entered 
the  Prince's  room  and  killed  him  as  he  slept. 
He  described  the  cunning,  deliberate  effort  to 
turn  suspicion  to  the  American  by  leaving 
bloodstains.  The  other  Dawsbergen  nobles, 
with  the  exception  of  two  who  had  gone  to  the 
capital  of  their  country  with  the  news  of  the 
catastrophe,  remained  close  to  the  hotel.  One 
of  them  confessed  that  but  little  sympathy 
would  be  felt  at  home  for  Gabriel,  who  was 
hated  by  his  subjects.  Already  there  was  talk 
among  them  of  Prince  Dantan,  his  younger 
brother,  as  his  successor  to  the  throne.  The 
young  Prince  was  a  favorite  with  the  people. 

Bolaroz  was  pleased  with  the  outcome  of  the 
sensational  accusation  and  the  consequent 
removal  of  complications  which  had  in  reality 
been  unpleasant  to  him. 

One  feature  of  the  scene  in  the  throne  room 
was  not  discussed,  although  it  was  uppermost 


440  GRA  U STARK 

in  the  minds  of  all.  The  positive  stand  taken 
by  the  Princess  and  her  open  avowal  of  love  for 
the  dashing  American  were  never  to  be  forgot- 
ten. The  serious  wrinkles  on  the  brow  of  Hal- 
font  and  the  faraway  expression  that  came 
frequently  to  his  eyes  revealed  the  nature  of 
his  thoughts.  The  greatest  problem  of  them 
all  was  still  to  be  solved. 

As  they  left  the  room  he  dropped  behind  and 
walked  out  beside  Lorry,  rather  timidly  detain- 
ing him  until  the  others  were  some  distance 
ahead. 

"You  were  closeted  with  the  Princess  this 
morning,  Mr.  Lorry,  and  perhaps  you  can  give 
me  the  information  I  desire.  She  has  called  a 
meeting  of  the  ministers  and  leading  men  of 
the  country  for  to-morrow  morning.  Do  you 
know  why  she  has  issued  this  rather  unusual 
call?  She  did  not  offer  any  explanation  to 
me." 

"I  am  only  at  liberty  to  say,  your  excellency, 
that  it  concerns  the  welfare  of  Graustark," 
answered  the  other,  after  a  moment's  thought. 
They  walked  on  in  silence  for  some  distance. 

"I  am  her  uncle,  sir,  but  I  love  her  as  I 
would  love  my  own  child.  My  life  has  been 
given  to  her  from  the  day  that  her  mother,  my 
sister,  died.  You  will  grant  me  the  right  to 


ON  THE  BALCONY  AGAIN  44* 

ask  you  a  plain  question.  Have  you  told  her 
that  you  love  her?"  The  Count's  face  was 
drawn  and  white. 

"I  have,  sir.  I  loved  her  before  I  knew  she 
was  a  Princess.  As  her  protector,  it  was  to 
you  that  I  would  have  told  the  story  of  my 
unfortunate  love  long  ago,  but  my  arrest  and 
escape  prevented.  It  was  not  my  desire  or 
intention  to  say  to  her  what  I  could  not  speak 
about  to  you.  I  do  not  want  to  be  looked  upon 
as  a  coward  who  dares  not  face  difficulties. 
My  love  has  not  been  willingly  clandestine,  and 
it  has  been  in  spite  of  her  most  righteous 
objections.  We  have  both  seen  the  futility  of 
love,  however  strong  and  pure  it  may  be.  I 
have  hoped,  your  excellency,  and  always  shall." 
'She  has  confessed  her  love  to  you  pri- 
vately?" asked  Halfont. 

"Against  her  will,  against  her  judgment, 
sir." 

"Then  the  worst  has  come  to  pass,"  groaned 
the  old  Count.  Neither  spoke  for  some  time. 
They  were  near  the  foot  of  the  staircase  when 
Halfont  paused  and  grasped  Lorry's  arm. 
Steadily  they  looked  into  each  other's  eyes. 

"I  admire  you  more  than  any  man  I  have 
ever  known,"  said  the  Count,  huskily,  "You 
are  the  soul  of  honor,  of  courage,  of  manliness. 


443  GRA  USTARK 

But,  my  God,  you  cannot  become  the  husband 
of  a  Princess  of  Graustark !  I  need  not  tell  you 
that,  however.  You  surely  must  under- 
stand." 

"I  do  understand,"  said  Lorry,  dizzily. 
1 '  I  am  not  a  prince,  as  you  are  saying  over  and 
over  again  to  yourself.  Count  Halfont,  every 
born  American  may  become  ruler  of  the  great- 
est nation  in  the  world — the  United  States. 
His  home  is  his  kingdom ;  his  wife,  his  mother, 
his  sisters  are  his  queens  and  his  princesses; 
his  fellow  citizens  are  his  admiring  subjects  if 
he  is  wise  and  good.  In  my  land  you  will  find 
the  poor  man  climbing  to  the  highest  pinnacle, 
side  by  side  with  the  rich  man.  The  woman  I 
love  is  a  Princess.  Had  she  been  the  lowliest 
maid  in  all  that  great  land  of  ours,  still  would 
she  have  been  my  queen,  I  her  king.  When 
first  I  loved  the  mistress  of  Graustark  she  was, 
you  must  not  forget,  Miss  Guggenslocker.  I 
have  said  all  this  to  you,  sir,  not  in  egotism  nor 
in  bitterness,  but  to  show  my  right  to  hope  in 
the  face  of  all  obstacles.  We  recognize  little 
as  impossible.  Until  death  destroys  this  power 
to  love  and  to  hope  I  must  say  to  you  that  I 
shall  not  consider  the  Princess  Yetive  beyond 
my  reach.  Frankly,  I  cannot,  sir." 

The  Count  heard  him  through,  unconscious 


ON  THE  BALCONY  AGAIN  443 

admiration  mingling  with  the  sadness  in  his 
eyes. 

"There  are  some  obstacles  that  bravery  and 
perseverance  cannot  overcome,  my  friend," 
he  said,  slowly.  "One  of  them  is  fate." 

"As  fate  is  not  governed  by  law  or  custom, 
I  have  the  best  reason  in  the  world  to  hope, ' ' 
said  Lorry,  yet  modestly. 

"I  would  indeed,  sir,  that  you  were  a  Prince 
of  the  realm, ' '  fervently  cried  the  Count,  and 
Lorry  was  struck  by  the  fact  that  he  repeated, 
word  for  word,  the  wish  Gaspon  had  uttered 
some  hours  before. 

By  this  time  they  were  joined  by  the  others, 
whereupon  Grenfall  hurried  eagerly  to  the 
balcony,  conscious  of  being  half  an  hour  early, 
but  glad  of  the  chance  afforded  for  reflec- 
tion and  solitude.  Sitting  on  the  broad 
stone  railing  he  leaned  back  against  a  pillar 
and  looked  into  the  night  for  his  thoughts. 
Once  more  the  moon  was  gleaming  beyond  St. 
Valentine's,  throwing  against  the  sky  a  jagged 
silhouette  of  frowning  angles,  towering  gables 
and  monstrous  walls,  the  mountain  and  the  mon- 
astery blending  into  one  great  misty  product  of 
the  vision.  Voices  came  up  from  below,  as  they 
did  on  that  night  five  weeks  ago,  bringing  the 
laughter  and  song  of  happy  hearts.  >zs-Music 


444  GRA  USTARK 

swelled  through  the  park  from  the  band  gal- 
lery ;  from  afar  off  came  the  sounds  of  revelry. 
The  people  of  Edelweiss  were  rejoicing  over 
the  unexpected  deliverance  from  a  fate  so  cer- 
tain that  the  escape  seemed  barely  short  of 
miraculous. 

Every  sound,  every  rustle  of  the  wind 
through  the  plants  that  were  scattered  over 
the  balcony  caused  him  to  look  toward  the  door 
through  which  she  must  come  to  him. 

At  last  she  appeared,  and  he  hastened  to 
meet  her.  As  he  took  her  hands  in  his,  she 
said  softly,  dreamily,  looking  over  his  shoulder 
toward  the  mountain's  crest: 

"The  same  fair  moon,"  and  smiled  into  his 
eyes. 

"The  same  fair  maid  and  the  same  man," 
he  added.  "I  believe  the  band  is  playing  the 
same  air;  upon  my  soul,  I  do." 

"Yes,  the  same  air,  La  Paloma.  It  is  my 
lullaby.  Come,  let  us  walk.  I  cannot  sit 
quietly  now.  Talk  to  me.  Let  me  listen  and 
be  happy. ' ' 

Slowly  they  paced  the  wide  balcony,  through 
the  moonlight  and  the  shadows,  her  hand  rest- 
ing on  his  arm,  his  clasping  it  gently.  Love 
obstructs  the  flow  of  speech ;  the  heart-beats 
choker-back  the  words  and  fill  the  throat. 


ON  THE  BALCONY  AGAIN  445 

Lorry  talked  but  little,  she  not  at  all.  Times 
there  were  when  they  covered  the  full  length 
of  the  balcony  without  a  word.  And  yet  they 
understood  each  other.  The  mystic,  the 
enchanting  silence  of  love  was  fraught  with  a 
conversation  felt,  not  heard. 

"Why  are  you  so  quiet?"  he  asked,  at  last, 
stopping  near  the  rail. 

"I  cannot  tell  you  why.  It  seems  to  me 
that  I  am  afraid  of  you, ' '  she  answered,  a  shy 
quaver  in  her  voice. 

"Afraid  of  me?     I  don't  understand." 

"Nor  do  I.  You  are  not  as  you  were  before 
this  morning.  You  are  different — yes,  you 
make  me  feel  that  I  am  weak  and  helpless  and 
that  you  can  say  to  me  'come'  and  'go'  and 
I  must  obey.  Isn't  it  odd  that  I,  who  have 
never  known  submissiveness,  should  so  sud- 
denly find  myself  tyrannized?"  she  asked,  smil- 
ing faintly. 

"Shall  I  tell  you  why  you  are  afraid  of  me?" 
he  asked. 

"You  will  say  it  is  because  I  am  forgetting  to 
be  a  Princess." 

"No;  it  is  because  you  no  longer  look  upon 
me  as  you  did  in  other  days.  It  is  because 
I  am  a  possibility,  an  entity  instead  of  a 
shadow.  Yesterday  you  were  the  Princess  and 


446  GRA  USTARK 

looked  down  upon  the  impossible  suitor;  to- 
day you  find  that  you  have  given  yourself  to 
him  and  that  you  do  not  regard  the  barrier  as 
insurmountable.  You  were  not  timid  until 
you  found  your  power  to  resist  gone.  To-day 
you  admit  that  I  may  hope,  and  in  doing  so  you 
open  a  gate  through  the  walls  of  your  pride 
and  prejudice  that  can  never  be  closed  against 
the  love  within  and  the  love  without.  You  are 
afraid  of  me  because  I  am  no  longer  a  dream, 
but  a  reality.  Am  I  not  right,  Yetive?" 

She  looked  out  over  the  hazy,  moonlit  park. 

"Yesterday  I  might  have  disputed  all  you 
say;  to-day  I  can  deny  nothing." 

Leaning  upon  the  railing,  they  fell  into  a 
silent  study  of  the  parade  ground  and  its  stroll- 
ers. Their  thoughts  were  not  of  the  walkers 
and  chatterers,  nor  of  the  music,  nor  of  the 
night.  They  were  of  the  day  to  come. 

"I  shall  never  forget  how  you  said  'because 
I  love  him,'  this  morning,  sweetheart,"  said 
Lorry,  betraying  his  reflections.  "You  defied 
the  whole  world  in  those  four  words.  They 
were  worth  dying  for. ' ' 

"How  could  I  help  it?  You  must  not  forget 
that  you  had  just  leaped  into  the  lion's  den 
defenseless,  because  you  loved  me.  Could  I 
deny  you  then?  Until  that  moment  I  had  been 


ON  THE  BALCONY  AGAIN  447 

the  Princess  adamant;  in  a  second's  time  you 
swept  away  every  safeguard,  every  battle- 
ment, and  I  surrendered  as  only  a  woman  can. 
But  it  really  sounded  shocking,  didn't  it?  So 
theatrical. ' ' 

"Don't  look  so  distressed  about  it,  dear. 
You  couldn't  help  it,  remember,"  he  said, 
approvingly. 

"Ach,  I  dread  to-morrow's  ordeal!"  she  said, 
and  he  felt  the  arm  that  touched  his  own 
tremble.  "What  will  they  say?  What  will 
they  do?" 

"To-morrow  will  tell.  It  means  a  great  deal 
to  both  of  us.  If  they  will  not  submit — what 
then?" 

"What  then — what  then?"  she  murmured, 
faintly. 

Across  the  parade,  coming  from  the  direction 
of  the  fountain,  Harry  Anguish  and  Dagmar 
were  slowly  walking.  They  were  very  close 
together,  and  his  head  was  bent  until  it  almost 
touched  hers.  As  they  drew  nearer,  the 
dreamy  watchers  on  the  balcony  recognized 
them. 

"They  are  very  happy,"  said  Lorry,  know- 
ing that  she  was  also  watching  the  strollers. 

"They  are  so  sure  of  each  other,"  she  re- 
plied, sadly. 


448  GRA  USTARK 

When  almost  directly  beneath  the  rail,  the 
Countess  glanced  upward,  impelled  by  the 
strange  instinct  of  an  easily  startled  love,  confi- 
dent that  prying  eyes  were  upon  her.  She  saw 
the  dark  forms  leaning  over  the  rail  and  rather 
jerkily  brought  her  companion  to  a  standstill 
and  to  a  realization  of  his  position.  Anguish 
turned  his  eyes  aloft. 

"Can  you,  fair  maid,  tell  me  the  names  of 
those  beautiful  stars  I  see  in  the  dark  dome 
above?"  he  asked,  in  a  loud,  happy  voice. 
"Oh,  can  they  be  eyes?" 

"Eyes,  most  noble  sir,"  replied  his  com- 
panion. "There  are  no  stars  so  bright." 

"Methought  they  were  diamonds  in  the  sky 
at  first.  Eyes  like  those  must  belong  to  some 
divinity." 

"They  do,  fair  student,  and  to  a  divinity  well 
worth  worshiping.  I  have  heard  it  said  that 
men  offer  themselves  as  sacrifices  upon  her 
altars." 

"Unless  my  telescope  deceives  me,  I  discern 
a  very  handsome  sacrifice  up  there,  so  I  sup- 
pose the  altar  must  be  somewhere  in  the 
neighborhood." 

"Not  a  hand's  breadth  beneath  her  eyes," 
laughed  the  Countess,  as  she  fled  precipitately 
up  the  steps,  followed  by  the  jesting  student. 


ON  THE  BALCON Y  AGAIN  449 

"Beware  of  a  divinity  in  wrath,"  came  a 
sweet,  clear  voice  from  the  balcony,  and 
Anguish  called  out  from  his  safe  retreat,  like 
the  boy  he  was : 

"Ah,  who's  afraid!" 

The  Princess  was  laughing  softly,  her  eyes 
radiant  as  they  met  those  of  her  companion, 
amused  yet  grave. 

"Does  he  have  a  care?"  she  asked. 

"I  fear  not.     He  loves  a  Countess. " 

"He  has  not  to  pay  the  price  of  ambition, 
then?"  said  she,  softly. 

"Ambition  is  the  cheapest  article  in  the 
world,"  he  said.  "It  concerns  only  a  man's 
self." 


XXVIII 

THE  MAID  OF  GRAUSTARK 

Expectancy,  concern,  the  dread  of  uncertainty 
marked  the  countenances  of  Graustark's  min- 
isters and  her  chief  men  as  they  sat  in  the 
council  chamber  on  the  day  following,  await- 
ing the  appearance  of  their  Princess,  at  whose 
call  they  were  unexpectedly  assembled.  More 
than  two  score  eyes  glanced  nervously  toward 
the  door  from  time  to  time. 

All  realized  an  emergency.  No  sooner  were 
they  out  of  one  dilemma  than  another  cast  its 
prospects  across  their  path,  creating  the  fear 
that  rejoicing  would  be  short.  While  none 
knew  the  nature  of  the  business  that  called 
them  together,  each  had  a  stubborn  suspicion 
that  it  related  to  the  stirring  declarations  of 
the  day  before.  Not  one  in  that  assembly  but 
had  heard  the  vivid,  soulful  sentence  from 
the  throne.  Not  one  but  wished  in  secret  as 
Gaspon  and  Halfont  had  wished  in  open 
speech. 

When  the  Princess  entered  with  the  prime 
minister  they  narrowly  scanned  the  face  so 
450 


THE  MAID  OF  GRA  USTARK  45 1 

dear  to  them.  Determination  and  cowardice 
were  blended  in  the  deep  blue  eyes,  pride  and 
dejection  in  the  firm  step,  strength  and  weak- 
ness in  the  loving  smile  she  bestowed  upon  the 
faithful  counsellors.  After  the  greetings  she 
requested  them  to  draw  chairs  about  the  great 
table.  Seating  herself  in  her  accustomed  seat, 
she  gazed  over  the  circle  of  anxious  faces  and 
realized,  more  than  at  any  time  in  her  young 
life,  that  she  was  frail  and  weak  beyond  all 
comparison.  How  small  she  was  to  rule  over 
those  strong,  wise  men  of  hers;  how  feeble 
the  hand  that  held  the  sceptre. 

"My  lords,"  she  said,  summoning  all  her 
strength  of  mind  and  heart,  "I  am  gratified  to 
find  you  so  ready  to  respond  to  the  call  of  your 
whimsical  sovereign.  Yesterday  you  came 
with  hearts  bowed  down  and  in  deepest  woe. 
To-day  I  assemble  you  here  that  I  may  ask 
your  advice  concerning  the  events  of  that 
strange  day.  Bolaroz  will  do  as  he  has  prom- 
ised. We  are  to  have  the  extension  papers  this 
afternoon,  and  Graustark  may  breathe  again 
the  strong,  deep  breath  of  hope.  You  well 
remember  my  attitude  on  yesterday.  You 
were  shocked,  horrified,  amazed  by  my  seem- 
ingly ignoble  effort  to  preserve  my  preserver's 
life.  We  will  pass  over  that,  however.  It  is 


45 2  GRAUSTARK 

to  discuss  my  position  that  I  have  called  you 
here.  To  begin,  I  would  have  sacrificed  my 
kingdom,  as  you  know,  to  save  him.  He  wae 
innocent  and  I  loved  him.  If,  on  yesterday,  I 
would  not  let  my  kingdom  stand  between  me 
and  my  love,  I  cannot  do  so  to-day.  I  have 
called  you  here  to  tell  you,  my  lords,  that  I 
have  promised  to  become  the  wife  of  the  man 
who  would  have  given  his  life  for  you  and  for 
me — that  I  love  as  a  woman,  not  as  a  Princess. ' ' 

The  silence  of  death  stole  into  the  room. 
Every  man's  eyes  were  glued  upon  the  white 
face  of  the  Princess  and  none  could  break  the 
spell.  They  had  expected  it,  yet  the  shock 
was  overwhelming;  they  had  feared  it,  yet  the 
announcement  stupefied  them.  She  looked 
straight  before  her,  afraid  to  meet  the  eyes  of 
her  subjects,  knowing  that  sickening  disap- 
proval dwelt  in  them.  Not  a  word  was  uttered 
for  many  seconds.  Then  old  Caspar's  tense 
muscles  relaxed  and  his  arms  dropped  limply 
from  their  crossed  position  on  his  breast. 

"My  child,  my  child!"  he  cried,  lifelessly. 
"You  cannot  do  this  thing!" 

"But  the  people?"  cried  Gaspon,  his  eyes 
gleaming.  "You  cannot  act  against  the  will  of 
the  people.  Our  laws,  natural  and  otherwise, 
proscribe  the  very  act  you  have  in  mind.  The 


THE  MAID  OF  GRA  U STARK  453 

American  cannot  go  upon  our  throne ;  no  man, 
unless  he  be  of  royal  blood,  can  share  it  with 
you.  If  you  marry  him  the  laws  of  our  land — 
you  know  them  well — will  prohibit  us  from 
recognizing  the  marriage. ' ' 

"Knowing  that,  my  lords,  I  have  come  to 
ask  you  to  revise  our  laws.  My  throne  will 
not  be  disgraced  by  the  man  I  would  have 
share  it  with  me. ' '  She  spoke  as  calmly  as  if 
she  were  making  the  most  trivial  request 
instead  of  asking  her  ministers  to  overthrow 
and  undo  the  laws  and  customs  of  ages  and  of 
dynasties. 

"The  law  of  nature  cannot  be  changed," 
muttered  Caspar,  as  if  to  himself. 

"In  the  event  that  the  custom  cannot  be 
changed,  I  shall  be  compelled  to  relinquish,  my 
right  to  occupy  the  throne  and  to  depart  from 
among  you.  It  would  break  my  heart,  my 
lords,  to  resort  to  this  monstrous  sacrifice,  but 
I  love  one  man  first,  my  crown  and  my  people 
after  him. ' ' 

"You  would  not  leave  us — you  would  no't 
throw  aside  as  despised  the  crown  your  ances- 
tors wore  for  centuries?"  cried  Gaspon.  "Is 
your  Royal  Highness  mad?" 

The  others  were  staring  with  open  mouths 
and  icy  hearts. 


454  GRA  USTARK 

"Yes,  as  much  as  it  would  grieve  me,  I 
would  do  all  this,"  she  answered,  firmly,  not 
daring  to  look  at  her  uncle.  She  knew  his  eyes 
were  upon  her  and  that  condemnation  lurked 
in  their  depths.  Her  heart  ached  to  turn  to 
him  with  a  prayer  for  forgiveness,  but  there 
could  be  no  faltering  now. 

"I  ask  you,  my  lords,  to  acknowledge  the 
marriage  of  your  ruler  to  Grenfall  Lorry. 
I  am  to  be  his  wife ;  but  I  entreat  you  to  grant 
me  happiness  without  making  me  endure  the 
misery  that  will  come  to  me  if  I  desert  my 
father's  throne  and  the  people  who  have  wor- 
shipped me  and  to  whom  I  am  bound  by  a 
tie  that  cannot  be  broken.  I  do  not  plead  so 
much  for  the  right  to  rule  as  I  do  for  the  one 
who  may  rule  after  I  am  gone.  I  want  my 
own  to  follow  me  on  the  throne  of  Graustark. ' ' 

Then  followed  a  long,  animated  discussion, 
growing  brighter  and  more  hopeful  as  the 
speakers'  willing  hearts  warmed  to  the  propo- 
sition. Lorry  was  a  favorite  but  he  could  not 
be  their  prince.  Hereditary  law  prohibited. 
Still  his  children  if  God  gave  him  children, 
might  be  declared  rightful  heirs  to  the  throne 
of  their  mother,  the  Princess.  The  more  they 
talked,  the  more  the  problem  seemed  to  solve 
itself.  Many  times  the  Princess  and  her  wise 


THE  MAID  OF  GRA  U STARK  455 

men  met  and  overcame  obstacles,  huge  at  first, 
minimized  in  the  end,  all  because  they  loved 
her  and  she  loved  them.  The  departure  from 
traditionary  custom,  as  suggested  by  the  Prin- 
cess,— coupled  with  the  threat  to  abdicate, — 
was  the  weightiest,  yet  the  most  delicate  ques- 
tion that  had  ever  come  before  the  chief  men 
of  Graustark.  It  meant  the  beginning  of  a 
new  line  of  princes,  new  life,  new  blood,  a 
complete  transformation  of  order  as  it  had 
come  down  through  the  reigns  of  many  Gan- 
looks.  For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the 
country  a  woman  was  sovereign ;  for  the  first 
time  there  had  been  no  direct  male  heir  to 
the  throne.  With  the  death  of  old  Prince 
Ganlook  the  masculine  side  of  the  illustrious 
family  ended.  No  matter  whom  his  daughter 
took  for  a  husband,  the  line  was  broken.  Why 
not  the  bold,  progressive,  rich  American? 
argued  some.  Others  fell  in  with  the  views  of 
the  few  who  first  surrendered  to  the  will  of 
Yetive,  until  at  last  but  one  remained  in  oppo- 
sition. Count  Caspar  held  out  until  all  were 
against  him,  giving  way  finally  in  a  burst  of 
oratory  which  ended  in  tears  and  sobs  and 
which  made  the  sense  of  the  gathering  unani- 
mous. 
The  Princess  Yetive  won  the  day,  so  far  as 


456  GRA  USTARK 

her  own  position  was  concerned.     But,  there 
was  Lorry  to  be  considered. 

"Mr.  Lorry  knows  that  I  called  you  together 
in  consultation,  but  he  does  not  know  that  I 
would  have  given  up  my  crown  for  him.  I 
dared  not  tell  him  that.  He  knows  only  that 
I  was  to  ask  your  advice  on  the  question  of 
marriage,  and  that  alone.  Last  night  he  told 
me  he  was  confident  you  would  agree  to  the 
union.  He  is  an  American,  and  does  not 
appreciate  the  difficulties  attending  such  an 
espousal.  Over  there  distinction  exists  only  in 
wealth  and  intelligence — position,  I  believe 
they  call  it,  but  not  such  as  ours.  He  is  a 
strange  man,  and  we  have  yet  to  consult  him 
as  to  the  arrangement, ' '  she  said  to  her  lords, 
pursing  her  lips.  "I  fear  he  will  object  to  the 
plan  we  have  agreed  upon,"  she  went  on. 
"He  is  sensitive,  and  it  is  possible  he  will  not 
like  the  idea  of  putting  our  marriage  to  the 
popular  vote  of  the  people." 

"I  insist,  however,  that  the  people  be  consid- 
ered in  the  matter,"  said  Gaspon.  "In  three 
month's  time  the  whole  nation  can  say  whether 
it  sanctions  the  revision  of  our  laws  of  heredity. 
It  would  not  be  right  or  just  for  us  to  say  who 
shall  be  their  future  rulers,  for  all  time  to 
come,  without  consulting  them." 


THE  MAID  OF  GRA  USTARK          45 7 

"I  have  no  hesitancy  in  saying  that  Grau- 
stark  already  idolizes  this  brave  American," 
said  Halfont,  warmly.  "He  has  won  her 
affection.  If  the  question  is  placed  before  the 
people  to-morrow  in  proper  form,  I  will  vouch 
for  it  that  the  whole  nation  will  rise  and  cry: 
'Long  live  the  Princess!  Long  live  the  Prince 
Consort!'" 

"Goin'  back,  I  see,"  said  Sitzky,  the  guard, 
some  months  later,  addressing  a  very  busy 
young  man,  who  was  hurrying  down  the  plat- 
form of  the  Edelweiss  railway  station  toward 
the  special  train  which  was  puffing  impatiently. 

"Hello,  Sitzky!  Is  it  you?  I'm  glad  to  see 
you  again.  Yes,  we  are  going  back  to  the  land 
of  the  Stars  and  Stripes."  The  speaker  was 
Mr.  Anguish. 

"You'll  have  fine  company  *s  fer  as  Vienna, 
too.  D'  you  ever  see  such  a  celebration's 
dey're  havin'  here  to-day?  You'd  t'ink  d' 
whole  world  was  interested  in  d'  little  visit 
Her  Royal  Highness  is  goin'  to  pay  to  Vienna. 
Dummed  if  d'  whole  city,  soldiers  an'  all,  ain't 
down  here  to  see  'er  off.  Look  at  d'  crowd! 
By  glory,  I  don't  b'lieve  we  c'n  pull  d'  train 
out  of  d'  station.  'Quainted  wid  any  of  d' 
royal  crowd?" 


GRAUSTARK 

* '  Slightly, ' '  answered  Anguish,  smiling.  He 
was  watching  a  trim  figure  in  a  tailor-made 
gown  as  it  approached,  drawing  apart  from 
the  throng.  It  was  Mrs.  Harry  Van  Brugh 
Anguish. 

"Say,  you  must  cut  some  ice  wid  dese 
people.  But  dat's  jest  like  an  American, 
dough,"  the  little  guard  went  on.  "De  Prin- 
cess married  an  American  an*  dey  say  he's 
goin'  to  put  d'  crown  away  where  d'  moths 
won't  git  at  it  an'  take  her  over  to  live  in 
Washington  f  er  six  months.  Is  it  a  sure  t'ing?' ' 

"That's  right,  Sitzky.  She's  going  back 
with  us  and  then  we're  coming  back  with  her. ' ' 

"Why  don't  he  keep  'er  over  dere  when  he 
gits  her  dere?  What's  d'  use — what's  d'  use?" 

"Well,  she's  still  the  Princess  of  Graustark, 
you  know,  Sitzky.  She  can't  live  always  in 
America. ' ' 

"Got  to  be  here  to  hold  her  job,  eh?" 

"Inelegant  but  correct.  Now,  look  sharp! 
Where  do  we  find  our — Ah!"  His  wife  was 
with  him  and  he  forgot  Sitzky. 

The  guard  turned  to  watch  the  procession — a 
file  of  soldiers,  a  cavalry  troop,  carriages  and 
then — the  carriage  with  spirited  horses  and  gay 
accoutrements.  It  stopped  with  a  jangle  and 
a  man  and  woman  descended. 


THE  MAID  OF  GRA  USTARK          459 

"The  Princess!"  cried  Sitzky. 

"Long  live  the  Princess!"  cried  the  crowd. 
' '  God  save  our  Yetive ! ' ' 

Sitzky  started  as  if  shot,  staring  at  the  tall 
man  who  approached  with  the  smiling  Sover- 
eign of  Graustark.  "Well,"  he  gasped,  "what 
d'  you  t'ink  o'  dat!" 

The  train  that  was  to  carry  them  out  of  the 
East  into  the  West  puffed  and  snorted,  the  bell 
clanged,  the  people  cheered,  and  they  were  off. 
Hours  later,  as  the  car  whirled  through  the 
Hungarian  plain,  Yetive,  looking  from  her 
window,  said  in  that  exquisite  English  which 
was  her  very  own : 

"Ah,  the  world,  the  dear  world!  I  am  so 
sorry  for  queens!" 

THE    END 


PRINTED  BY  R.  R.  DONNELLET 
AND  SONS  COMPANY  AT  THE 
LAKESIDE  PRESS,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELES 

COLLEGE  LIBRARY 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


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